Wild Child
by Jyk
Summary: Aang stumbles across a girl raised by badger-moles who can't talk, can't see, and now he has to find her a home so he doesnt have to keep the strange creature around. What will happen when she starts to act human? Will this wild child make him fal in love
1. Chapter 1

Aang shook his head in clear disgust at the older gentleman. The man sat high in his seat as if the deed he'd done was something to be proud of. Maybe to the old firebending solider it was, but many of the surrounding people seemed to follow Aang's feelings.

The girl jerked against the black chains that wrapped itself around her neck, and this time it broke the tender surface of her skin, and caused blood to run down her pale neck.

The firebending solider didn't see this, and continued with his tale, "And there I was. I was alone, or so I thought. From the blackest part of the cave came this young girl. Her sightless eyes reflected my flickering light. She bared her teeth as if she was an animal, and began moving her hands. I instantly knew that it was earthbending, and fought to stop her. She moved with barbaric ferocity."

The man leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying all the eyes that watched him, "I beat her eventually, and wrapped her hands and feet in metal, so she wouldn't bend anymore while she growled and snapped at me. Apparently, she was raised by some sort of animal. The people around there say that these animals can actually earthbend, and that's where she learned it. I don't remember the name, though."

The girl jerked against her chains again only to make her small wound grow.

"I cannot allow this," Aang said, getting to his feet, "The treatment of her is not fitting for an animal let alone a human."

The older gentleman whirled to face whoever had spoken out against him, but when his eyes landed on the tattoos of an airbender on Aang's arms, the man's face became pale, "Avatar," he whispered breathlessly, "I was only defending myself. She is very dangerous."

Aang watched the man with cold eyes, "If she is as dangerous as you say than I must not allow her to be in your hands. Any danger to my nations must be properly taken care of." Aang walked past the man towards the chained girl.

She bared her teeth in obvious distrust at him. Aang leaned down out of her reach to look her over. She had black hair that had been obviously cut in spite that stuck out in all directions. Her eyes were a stormy blue color that hinted at blindness. She appeared to be around his age, but it was hard to tell, for she was underweight and small.

He slowly raised his hand up, and the girl followed it with her head, but not her eyes. Strange, he thought, she seems to know where my hand is, and, yet, she is blind.

The man stood up from his seat as he realized that the avatar meant to take her, "Avatar, I found her. That makes her…"

"The rule to finding objects in the mountains of the Southern Earth Nation does not apply to humans," he said stiffly, "If you wish to uphold your beliefs in the specifics of that law than it is only fair that we settle this in a duel. Whoever wins gets control of the girl." Aang did not even glance over at the man to know that the man had backed away. Not many would take the Avatar on in combat.

Aang slowly reached forward. The girl bared her teeth, and seemed to snake away from him. He suddenly lashed out, and pressed his fingers to her forehead at the same exact moment that she tried to leap out of his reach.

A stream of blue raced from his fingertips to her head, and she collapsed in an unconscious heap. Aang reached out, and caught her before she hit the unforgiving ground. He easily hefted her up.

As he held her he marveled how small and fragile she seemed. Even with the added weight of the chains, and the metal that fit snuggly around her hands and feet, she still weighed less than a normal man.

He shifted her onto one arm, and with his free hand, he froze the chains. At first nothing happened but a small layer of frost that decorated the pitch black chains, and then they suddenly burst apart leaving a little bit of frostbitten skin underneath.

He broke the one on her feet, and was surprised to find her instinctively move them away from his hands. He glanced at her eyes to see if she'd awoken, but he found that she was still deep in sleep.

He reached out to touch her feet when he suddenly threw his arm sideways. He caught her capturer's hand, as the man tried to burn down the avatar. The man's eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped to his knees, and emitted a strangled noise.

Aang slowly turned to the man, and tightened his grip until he could feel the bones started to creak. The man wailed his pain for all who would listen.

Aang slammed the man away, and sent him tumbling over himself, and into the nearest chair. He sat there, his eyes large and his clothes covered in stray bits of food, and started shaking in clear fear.

Aang could hear some people, who believed themselves out of his hearing, whisper to one another, "That's the avatar?" a woman whispered.

The man she was talking to grunted, "Yes. They say that the only reason the firenation backed down was for they feared this cold blooded boy after he publically murdered the Fire Lord. They say that the son is even too afraid to assume the throne."

The woman seemed surprised, "But he seems so young. He can't be twenty."

"No one knows how old he is," the man whispered back, "There were documents that depicted him in the air temples when the airbenders were still here."

"But," the woman said with a gasp, "They were wiped out a hundred years ago!"

Aang allowed the whispering to continue at the outskirts of the assembled crowd, and he placed a whistle to his lip that eerily resembled a beheaded bison. Luckily, the whistle still was able to produce the needed sound.

A distant bellow split through the darkening dusk, and sent shadows of scurrying animals across the ground that were deformed by the position of the sun.

Despite the sound being so far away in mere moments a large beast landed on the ground so hard that the more unsteady glasses fell to their sides and spilled their contents. People shied away from the large creature.

Oppa threw his head to the side, and let out a roar. Oppa's fur was darker than most people had heard. A snow white beast, they had heard, with eyes as deadly as any sword. One look into them, and you perish into the wind to be scattered all around the world.

Aang slowly walked to his side, and Oppa gave the girl in his arms a distrusting look. Despite Oppa's dislike for strangers, he dropped his knees to allow his rider to lay the girl in the saddle. Aang grabbed the side of the saddle, and swung himself in.

Oppa remained still until his rider had tucked the girl tightly in a fur blanket, and settled down between his horns. Aang grabbed the reins in his hand, and gently flicked them.

Oppa bunched up his powerful muscles, and was leaping into the air. There is a moment right when Oppa starts to fall back towards the ground where Aang's heart stops before Oppa suddenly shoots upward into the sky.

Aang felt the cold air fill his lungs. It was the air that he enjoyed. It was not the weeping air filled with smoke and the breath of the near people. The air that seemed to shine with its purity was the one that he felt most peaceful in.

Maybe the girl related to him in this manner, for the second they entered into the pure air high above the earth, she opened her eyes. Aang heard her give a snarl, and he turned on Oppa's head. He'd expected her to be out longer, but sometimes the chakra pools clean themselves out faster on certain people.

The girl violently shook the blanket off of her, and nearly tore it in half in the process. When she untangled her feet from it, she threw it away from her so hard that it fell over the side of the saddle, and plummeted towards the earth below.

"I hope you realize that's the only blanket you're going to get." Aang said, as he watched the blanket disappear into the low hanging clouds.

The girl whipped her head towards his voice, but made no move to move. Instead, she clutched the saddle tightly, and tucked her knees underneath her. Aang had a hard time seeing through the dusk light if she was shaking or the air hitting against her loose clothing was just giving her the illusion of shaking.

Aang placed the reins down, and moved towards the girl. She seemed to twitch every time his foot landed as he made his way to her side. When he came to her side, she swiped out at him, but instantly returned her hand to clutch at the saddle.

Aang sat down by her, and felt a little bad. It was clear that she'd never flown before, she was blind, so she had no idea where she was, and she didn't seem to be able to speak, so he couldn't explain to her what was going on.

He reached a hand out, and touched her shoulder. Her head shot towards him, and she whipped her body away from his with such force that she slammed into the side of the saddle. She squeezed herself against it, as if she hoped to merge herself with the leather.

Aang sighed, and reached for her again. She seemed to sense his hand coming towards her, but this time she didn't seem to be able to completely pinpoint it. He touched her shoulder once more. Her body jumped, but she had no place to go.

Aang kept his hand on the shaking girl's shoulder, he stretched out his other hand to rummage through one of his bags. He pulled out a small bundle of dried seal meat out. He placed it in his lap, and unwrapped it.

The girl's nose flared despite the fact that the moving air should have blown away the scent before it could have reached her nose. She turned her head towards the jerky, but made no move to move towards it.

He grabbed one of the largest pieces, and went to give it to her. He held it a foot from her face, and he saw her lock her blind eyes on the jerky. She licked her lips in obvious hunger, and reached on of her hand out towards it.

She got it halfway there before pulling it back, and tucking it between her chest and knees. Aang released his hold on her shoulder, and shifted his position to sit in front of her face. She moved backwards, but seemed reluctant to really move around.

He reached out, and pressed the jerky to her lips. She jerked backwards. He pressed it to her lips again. She swallowed nervously, and reached out with the hand she had previously used. She got halfway there, and quickly snatched it away as if she feared he was going to take it away.

She stirringly sank her teeth into the meat. She used her back teeth to tear the meat to bits, and ate in a speed that Aang found dangerous. She licked her fingers, and seemed to smell around for more.

Aang reached into the bundle, and pulled out another piece. She instantly located it, and turned her timid eyes towards him. Aang held the jerky out, this time closer to him, and let her move towards him. She obviously distrusted humans, but her hunger won out, and she moved just an inch.

Aang did this with the entire bundle of meat. At the end the girl was nearly in his lap, but when she realized their closeness, she backed away until she was farther away than when she started.

Aang leaned back against the front of the saddle, and watched the girl. He was secretly afraid that she'd try to run from him, and leap over the saddle. The girl remained frozen for most of the ride, but right before they landed for the night, she started to show an interest in her surroundings.

She started by just exploring the area around her. She did this in an interesting way. She would pound her fist into the ground in front of her, and then she would move around with confidence before she would stop. She would repeat this until she had successfully explored the saddle. The only place she did not fully explore were the places closest to Aang.

She would come into a foot range of him, and would just stare at him. It was slightly unnerving to be stared at by such unique eyes, but it was also a relief. In those sightless eyes only curiosity shown.

There was no greed, lust, admiration, or hatred of him. Her eyes were innocent, and despite being in a girl his age, it felt like they were eyes that belonged to a child. Someone still ignorance of hatred and the dark that lurked within man.

Oppa landed on the ground, and the girl was jolted from where she had been sitting awkwardly. He found a strange pattern in the girl's behavior. When Aang would get excited, or he would get nervous about what the girl was doing than she would tense up, and turn to look at him.

She'd watch his every move until he would grow bored. The second he lost interest, she would relax, and continue being the odd creature she was.

The girl seemed to sense that she was on the ground, and leaned over the saddle's edge. She gave him a curious glance. It was clear that she was wondering what would happen if she ran. Aang was relieved to see that the girl was able to reason and think at a human level which would make finding someone to look after her much easier.

He stood up, and tapped her shoulder as he passed her. He didn't know why he did it, but when he leapt off of Oppa the girl followed. She landed on the ground, and instantly started to roll in it. She buried her hands in it, and buried her face in it.

Aang had seen animals do this, but usually the rolled around in the rotting carcass of another dead animal. She rolled at his feet for a few moments before she, once again, realized how close she was to him.

She got to her feet, and dashed towards the cover of the thick trees. Aang sighed, and rose earth walls around them. The girl surprised him by, with a quick wave of her hand, completely tearing down a section of the wall.

He titled his head, and grinned. When he'd been dealing with a traitorous band of Earthbenders that had been running amuck through the war stricken nation, he had come up with a new technique. One that turned Earthbending unusable.

Aang took his stance, and the earth compacted itself until it was as dense as metal. The girl barely slowed her pace, and started to move her hands in attempt to bring down his wall. Aang took a deep breath, and released it in the form of a blue fire.

The fire raced the perimeter of the wall, and left behind a wall made out of a pure diamond. The fire finally completed its circle, and it disappeared into the near air. Aang looked at his handiwork. A diamond dome surrounded them. It ran below them as well, but he had learned that diamond was not something that made a good bed, so he left a thick layer of dirt on top of it.

The girl had slid to the stop at the sound of the fire racing around her. She leapt towards the wall, and banged her fist against it. It gave a thundering crack, but the diamond held firm. The girl seemed confused.

Aang knew the reason. Diamond was still earth, but the spirits had once seen as earthbenders rose in prosperity as they bended precious metals from the earth. Their souls became corrupted in their wealth, and the spirits revoked the abilities to bend all precious metals. As avatar he was the only exception to that law.

The girl gave a cry of frustration which was actually the first human noise she'd made the entire trip. Despite being filled with frustration, confusion, anger, and fear it was actually quite a beautiful noise. It also made him ponder about what her real voice sounded like.

"Hey," he called as she pounded her fist again to the wall, "You're going to hurt yourself." Aang set fire in the middle of the dome, so the girl could come to it without being near him, but he could still enjoy its warmth.

Oppa settled down against the diamond wall, and waited for Aang to pull his saddle off. Aang did his usual cool down to Oppa which consisted of removing the saddle, pulling off shedding fur, and feeding the large beast.

Oppa curled himself up, but left a spot near his head for Aang to curl up in. Aang sat down right in front of Oppa's shoulder.

He instantly saw the girl in the flickering light at the other end of the dome. She seemed defeated against the beauty of the diamond. As if feeling his eyes on her, she stood up, and moved towards him. She sat down by the fire, and laid down.

Aang leaned back against Oppa.

He barely slept at all that night, because the girl whimpered, howled, and yelled in her sleep. Aang couldn't wait to be rid of the strange girl.


	2. Chapter 2

Aang awoke to something pushing against his chest. He shoved it away, but, apparently irritated by his lack of movement, it started nudging him all the harder. Aang put his arms over his face just to have them jerked back again.

"What?" He groaned, sitting up to face the sightless eyes that were waiting next to him. The girl instantly leapt away from him, and waited for him to get her food at a safe distance.

Aang had found the girl was very intelligent. She would learn things from just 'watching' him do it once. He wasn't quite too sure what powers she had to be able to see as well as she did when she was blind.

Despite her sharp intelligence she hadn't uttered a word despite all the prompting he'd given her. He had the growing suspicion that she was beginning to understand him, and knew the words to answer his questions, but, yet, she still remained quiet.

Aang pushed himself to his feet, and walked towards the bag of food that the girl could have easily gotten herself. She had this strange territorial view on things. The things that she viewed as his, which was pretty much everything, she wouldn't touch. The things she viewed as hers, which consisted of his blanket, and a spot on Oppa's saddle, were off limits to him.

He pulled out a bundle of dried fruit, and tossed it to her. She caught it without any trouble. She ripped into it, and shoved down the food. Aang couldn't help feel his pockets grow lighter as the girl ate more than a man during each meal.

She wolfed down all, but two pieces of fruit, and with those remaining pieces she trotted over to the groggy flying bison. Oppa raised his head, and gave a fond grunt. The girl grinned, and held out the pieces of fruit in her open palm.

The bison opened his large mouth, and swiped his slimy tongue across her hand. She curled her lip up in disgust, and wiped her, now empty, hand against her pant leg.

Aang rolled his eyes as Oppa widened his big brown eyes in hope of gaining more food out of the girl. Too bad, Aang thought, she's blind. Those big puppy eyes of yours won't work on her. Oppa didn't seem to understand that she was blind.

"Don't spoil him," Aang yelled over to her, and witnessed as she jumped at the sound of his voice, "You'll make him fatter than he already is." Oppa threw his head in protest.

The girl looked thoughtful, and Aang guessed that she was breaking down his sentence, so she could make sense of it.

Deciding that going back to sleep was just a wishful thought, he began to pack up. He was surprised to see a clear attempt to remake the fire. Aang had tried to show her how to start a fire without firebending, but this seemed to be hard for the girl to fathom.

Aang chuckled, and checked to make sure that ashes were cold. The girl seemed to realize that it was time to begin leaving, for she turned to her small bags of randomly collected things. Her pack consisted of some very pretty rocks, a few coins, a knife he'd given her, and the extra clothes he'd dug up for her.

She carefully packed her belongings as she'd 'seen' him do.

Aang threw his bag onto the saddle, and did a small scan of his sleeping place to make sure that he hadn't left anything behind. The girl mimicked him. It was actually quite amusing. Aang had felt, for the last two weeks he'd had her, that he'd required a new pet.

"Make sure you check good," he shouted to her, "We won't come back if you leave anything." She'd left the knife the day he'd given her it, and when she'd realized it, she had stared at him until he went back, so she could get it.

Aang knew an elderly couple that lived in a village that they would reach in today's flight. Aang had helped them track down some of their missing chicken-pigs during a snowstorm. He figured that their kind smiles and patient nature would be perfect for the girl.

She seemed to think about the words. He guessed by the way she went over the ground very carefully that she had understood what he'd said to a certain extent.

After she was sure that she'd gotten everything, she turned, and jumped into Oppa's saddle. She instantly curled up in her spot. It was in the corner of the back of the saddle. She had stolen his blanket, and made a little bed out of it.

Aang followed up after her.

Oppa took to the skies. The flight took on the same pattern that it always followed. Aang would start off on Oppa's head until the girl would move towards the front of the saddle, and make small whimpering noises that meant she was hungry.

Aang would ignore her until she would get right behind him, and the noises turned heartbreaking. He would sigh, and the second she heard that sigh, she would instantly retreat away from him.

He would get her food, and she would wait until he placed it on the ground, and left it before she would take it. She would do this at least twice before they landed.

Aang didn't understand her sometimes. She had been more terrified of Oppa than she had been of him when they'd first met. Now, however, she loved Oppa, but still refused to allow him to lay a hand on her without a struggle.

The farm finally came insight. It was a small building made completely out of thrown together wood, but Aang had seen the building stand up to a blizzard. It had three large pens for the different age groups of the chicken-pigs. One was for the males, one was for the weaning babies, and one was for the females.

There was a pond nestled at the corner of the property which laid right behind the large barn.

Oppa must have remembered this place with good memories, for he suddenly swooped down towards the barn. He landed on the ground, and looked around for the piles of hay that had awaited him during his last visit.

He saw the elderly couple emerge from the house with cheerful smiles. The man, Kazuki, came down the stairs in his awkward gait, for his joints had always caused him problems. He was a short man with grey hair, and kind black eyes.

"If it isn't the avatar," he said with a kind smile, "With a girl?" The smile the man gave made it clear about his misinterpretation of the situation. The girl instantly cleared up the misunderstanding when she leaned over the side of the saddle, and started growling at the new people.

Aang smiled at the man's baffled eyes, "Raised by animals," he turned towards her, "Get down from there!" He turned back towards the man, "She's a stray in need of a home."

"Let's continue this conversation inside." Kazuki chuckled, taking everything in stride. He put a fatherly arm around Aang's shoulders, and pushed him towards the humble home. Aang grinned, and followed the man.

"Hey!" he yelled when he noticed the girl was just staring from her perch on the saddle, "Are you coming or not?" The girl seemed to frown than she jumped down, and followed at a safe distance.

Aang got on the porch to be hugged by the elderly woman named Kusara. She was very short, even shorter than what the wild girl was, and only came to the bottom of his shoulder.

"It's been too long," she said in her hoarse voice, "It can't be only when you need a favor that you come to us." She arched her eyebrow at the distant girl, "She doesn't have the air of your lover, so that must mean she's in need of a place to call home."

Aang smiled. Kusara had been a spy under the Northern Water Tribe before her entire unit was wiped out. She had an uncanny power of observation.

"I believe this should be a conversation should be in the safety of our house. A storm is brewing." Kazuki had a gift as well, but his came from his entire life living in this area. He could tell if storms were coming by the smell of the breeze, and the way his chicken-pigs behaved.

They all sat around the small table that was so small that they had to bring another chair for him to sit in. As Kazuki and Aang were deep in discussion of things irrelevant to the girl, Kusara worked her magic in befriending the girl.

Maybe the girl just had a fear of guys, for she, in two hours, was sitting in front of Kursara, and letting her fix her wildly cut hair. She seemed to like her hair being touched, for she had been still for a solid hour.

Aang ignored the annoyed pang in chest. He felt annoyed that he'd been with her two weeks, and been nothing but nice to her, and, yet, he had only touched her on the first night he'd rescued her. He shrugged it off. It was better that she liked Kusara because then leaving her with them would be easier.

Kazuki looked over at the girl, "So, I think I've held my curiousty in check long enough. This girl has been raised by animals, and she is a pretty good earthbender, but if you wish for us to look after her I must have a little more information on her."

Aang thought of information that would be helpful, "She hasn't shown any meaness since I met her. She doesn't like guys to much. I believe that she understands more then she lets on, and maybe even able to speak a little. She obviously blind, but has an uncanny way of moving about. It's in my guess that she somehow uses sound to 'see' around her."

He nodded, "Do you have any other choices of housing arrangments for her?"

Aang felt his heart drop, "I have a few, but I thought your isolated home would be a good place for her to slowly get used to humans, and since you guys don't have any children, I thought she'd get plenty of attention. Plus, she really seems attached to Kusara."

Kazuki looked over fondly at his wife, "She does have a certain pull." Aang looked over. He was envious of Kazuki for finding someone he loved so truly. Kusara, considering she'd been an icy hearted spy, also loved Kazuki as well.

He chuckled, "Are you sure you don't want to keep her?" Kazuki asked with that playful glint in his old eyes, "She's quite a looker."

Aang turned his eyes to the girl with the dog like expression, "She's not my type."

"I thought your type was just gentle and sweet?" Kazuki asked with a teasing smile, "I believe she fits those requirements."

Aang chuckled, "Will you keep her around or not? She's going to eat me out of house and home."

Kusara looked up as she finished all, but one section of the girl's hair, "I find no fault in taking her in. It's like having another pet." She ruffled the girl's hair, and the girl ducked her head playfully away.

Aang really did feel as if he'd was watching a pet interact with her master.

"Well," Aang said with a stretch of his arms, "If you allow it, I'd like to stay a day, and leave in the morning."

Kazuki got up, "Do you think we'd let you go without saying goodbye to her first? Besides, there are a few hours until night comes, and one of my male chicken-pigs are missing."

Aang smiled, and understood what he was to do. While he left the girl to bond with her new 'mother' he went out in search of this missing chicken-pig. He searched the surrounding woods from the skies, but realized that he couldn't see through the heavy branches, so he had to walk around.

He searched for a few hours only to find nothing. He was about to give up when he realized something. Where would a male go? Aang realized he was searching in the wrong place. Sure enough, he found the male lounging against the female's pen.

Aang wrestled the chicken-pig into its pen. The horrible thing about it was that the second he entered his pen, the chicken-pig seemed to be happy to be back.

Kazuki probably knew that, but he enjoyed teasing the avatar. Aang couldn't lie when he said that he didn't enjoy it. Kazuki was one of the only men that would actually play with him. He was like the father that'd he'd never had.

The old man laughed when Aang walked in with dirt covering his entire body, and a cut on his cheek. "You really should realize that animals aren't much different than people. The males will always be where the females are."

"Oppa isn't like that," Aang said, sitting down near the fire, "But, then again, he is the only one of his kind isn't he?"

Kazuki smiled, "You'll learn that you are more of an animal than Oppa is."

Aang had had the talk with Kazuki when he was twelve, and freshly unfrozen, and he wasn't looking forward to doing it again. Actually he was quite scarred from it, and had had a fear of woman since then.

"Yes," Aang agreed, "But I am an airbender, and I was taught by the monks to act differently to the influences of women." Kazuki rolled his eyes. Aang looked around, and realized that a familiar presence was missing, "Where's the girl?"

The playful glint returned to Kazuki's eyes, but this time he kept his sick humor to himself, "She's in 'her' room. Kusara is trying to trick her into talking. She thinks you're right. She reacts to certain words. She waited until the girl tried to grab an apple, and she said, 'That's bad. It makes you sick." The girl put the apple down, and wouldn't touch any apples that appeared like the first one."

Aang grinned, "That doesn't surprise me."

Kusara walked out with frustration written over her face, "That girl is welcomed to stay. It's been a long time that I've met someone more stubborn and crafty than me."

"Tell me about it." Kazuki said with a grin.

Kusara glared at him with mock anger, "Oh, keep your thoughts to yourself, you stupid old man." She then turned to Aang, "I apologize, but our house is quite small. I figured you wouldn't mind sharing a room with 'the girl'," she had clarified that the girl should have been named, "You've been sleeping in close proximity for two weeks now."

Aang gave a shrug, "I'm the one intruding upon your hospitality. I would sleep with the chicken-pigs if that would make anything easier."

Aang found the room he was sleeping in on the other side of the house. It was a small room. The girl had already claimed the small bed area, and bared her teeth when he came near it. He held his hands up, and she laid back down.

She didn't seem to care that he was in her room, though. He laid down his blanket which she acted like she wanted to take it from him, but she restrained herself. Aang laid down on his back, and stared up at the ceiling.

He heard as the girl started whining. Aang smiled in the darkness. His nights were going to become quiet without her.

Aang tried to fall asleep, but something kept him awake. At first he thought it was the adrenaline of fighting the male chicken-pig, but after three hours, he realized that it was something else. He felt a little guilty.

He was leaving her without asking her. She wouldn't answer if he asked, but he felt like he wasn't respecting her right as a human. He then shrugged it off deciding that when she became more independent than she could make her own decision

Finally he realized that he wasn't going to get any sleep, so he decided that getting ready for his journey a little earlier wouldn't be a bad idea. The girl stirred. She must have been so exhausted from the interaction with the new humans, for she didn't even wake when he bumped into the door.

Aang slipped out of the rooms, and left his blanket behind as a goodbye present. He had another one hidden safely away from the girl.

Aang entered into the living room to meet Kusara who was sitting near the door.

"I'm not surprised you're leaving early," she commented as she sipped from the tea she was drinking, "An indecisive heart doesn't sleep well at night."

Aang jumped in surprise, and turned to stare at her, "You're lucky I didn't accidentally shoot a bolt of lightning through you." He ran a hand through his shaggy hair that had grown shortly after he'd mastered firebending.

She arched an eyebrow, "Were you not planning on saying goodbye?"

He shook himself of his surprise, and walked over to her to give her a hug, "I will pass by again, and I will check in on her. I'll bring you a nice male chicken-pig as thanks." He released his hug, "Where is Kazuki?"

Kusara yawned, "He knows Oppa is scared of storms, so he has made Oppa something to help keep him calm. It's a tool we use on the chicken-pigs, but it had to be enlarged for Oppa. He's out giving it to Oppa now."

Aang lowered his head, "Thank you," he whispered, "I'm forever grateful to you."

Kusara waved her hands, "You are the son we always wanted." She smiled as he looked away in order to try to hide how pleased he was, "I think, Kazuki being the old sentimental fool he is, would enjoy it if you tried to call him dad."

Aang had the strange feeling that Kazuki may not be the sentimental one.

"I'll remember that," Aang said as he slowly opened the door with his shoulder, "By the way," he said glancing back, "You're the best mother I could have hoped for." The old woman put the cup up to her lips to hide her smile.

The uneasy feeling of leaving the girl behind was replaced with a warm one. He went to the barn to find Kazuki trying to tie something over Oppa's horn. Oppa was ticklish on his horns, so he was almost throwing Kazki off.

"Watch out," Aang chuckled, "He won't mean it, but he will really hurt you." Kazuki looked up, and pushed some of his grey hair from his eyes.

"He's such a sweetheart, I'm sure that he couldn't hurt me even if he tried." Kazuki slid off, and admired his handywork, "You're leaving early."

"Couldn't sleep," Aang said with a yawn, "The monks said, 'One shall not squander time in restless sleep when things need to be done.'"

Kazuki nodded, "Wise monks," Kazuki sighed, "Well, if you are getting ready to leave than I should not waste your time." The older man started to make his way towards the house, "Come by and visit sometime!"

Aang nodded, "Thanks, pops!" He saw that man freeze, but continue to walk towards the house without saying anything. Aang grinned, and turned towards Oppa, "Ready to go, buddy?"

Oppa grunted, and looked around for the girl.

"She's not coming with us this time." Aang swung onto Oppa, and they soared towards the sky.


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to thank all those people who reviewed. I also want to apologize for my grammar. Yeah, my English teacher loves me but she hates reading what I write. Another thing, another person said that I had spelled Oppa's name wrong. Yeah, I did. Sorry about that.**

The fire light flickered against his cold skin as it attempted to melt away the cold demons that seemed to be hugging him. Oppa shook his head to get rid of some of the ice that was sticking to his fur. Aang remembered this Southern Water Tribe to be cold, but he'd never been here during a blizzard.

After leaving Kazuki's place, they'd left straight to the Southern Water Tribe to see if they could need any help during the hardest part of winter. He must have timed his trip wrong, for it had never been this cold before.

Aang closed his eyes to allow sleep to take over him when he heard something crashing through the snow. At first he believed it was one of the native creatures until he noticed that it sounded like something on two feet running towards him.

He slowly rose his feet without making any noise. Oppa grumbled just loud enough for Aang to hear, and slowly moved his frozen tail.

The crunching got closer.

Suddenly, out of the ice covered trees, a human burst forward. The human was dressed in dark brown fur clothing with a hood covering their face.

Aang nearly surrounded the figure with fire, but deciding that he didn't know their intention, he choose a wall of frozen earth instead. He threw the wall up, and the stranger knocked it down with ease.

The figure was suddenly in front of him. He raised his hand to smite the being with lightening when the hood fell down, and he saw the usual eyes he was used to, and missing.

"What are you doing here?" The girl lowered her head, and shied back from his voice. Aang sat down with a gasp. He'd been so close to completely injuring this girl. He put a hand over his heart, "I almost just killed you."

The girl moved forward, and then retreated backwards. Aang looked down to the piece of paper that was near his foot. He wasn't over the shock of suddenly seeing the girl, so he only stared at the paper. The girl reached forward, and pushed the paper against his leg, and stared at him expectantly.

He shook his head, and reached for it while Oppa reached over, and covered the girl head from toe in slime. The girl beamed at Oppa, and hugged his face.

_Dear Aang,_

_ I'm sure her sudden appearance when you thought you were rid of her was a surprise, so I feel an explanation is needed._

_The morning you left we put out the breakfast, and called her to it. She trotted to the table, and sat down as she was told. We put the food in front of her, but she didn't touch it. Instead, she kept looking over to where you had sat at dinner, and pushed her plate to your spot many times._

_Finally, she got up, and trotted back to her room. She came out later looking confused. She then trotted out to the barn. When she noticed that Oppa was gone, she came back in clear distress. She motioned to where Oppa was, and we explained to her that you had gone, and she was to stay here._

_She refused to eat, and hugged the knife you had given her to her chest. She got angry when we touched your blanket, and refused to let it be moved, or touched by anyone including herself. Kazuki and I grew worried as she began to lose weight, and just sat in her room staring blankly at your blanket._

_Kazuki remembered you mentioning that you were on your way to the Southern Water Tribe, and we decided that she needed to be with you. If you really do not wish to keep her then you can bring her straight back, but if you keep her just visit us on your way back._

_We have no doubt that she will find you. I have the feeling that you must be missing her by the time you get this._

_ Your….mother type figure,_

_ Kusara_

_P.S. I refuse to let this poor child just being called 'Girl,' therefore I have chosen a name for her. Call her Toph. Toph was a friend of mine that was killed by the Fire Nation. _

Aang looked over to see that the girl's skin was slightly blue, and she seemed to be shaking. It was clear that she'd been running, and the sweat had frozen. She was sitting by his feet, and waiting to get in trouble.

Aang reached towards her, and she leaned away. Aang reached under her arm, and pulled the blanket out of her grasp. Toph let go of it with ease, and looked as if she was expecting praise. Aang shook the blanket out, and slowly wrapped it around her shoulders.

She tried to squirm away from him, but stopped when she felt the warmth of the blanket. She buried her hands in it, and wrapped it around her feet protectively. Aang looked down to see that she wasn't wearing shoes.

His eyes widened, and he reached out. The second he touched her feet, she jerked them back to violently that she rolled onto her back. Aang shook his head. She was lucky that they had only been a day into the snow, or she would probably have lost her feet to frostbite.

Aang grabbed the blanket he had been using, and placed it on her feet. She tilted her head to the side, and gave something that resembled a smile.

Aang got to his feet, and walked towards the saddle that was rested, abandoned on the ground, to get another blanket. Toph yelped, and jumped to her feet. She beat him to the saddle, and sat in her corner stubbornly. She curled up, and stared pathetically at him.

She was afraid that he was going to leave her. Aang wasn't someone that felt guilty about a lot of things, but now he felt like his heart was breaking in half. He sighed, and got the blanket out.

"You can come with me," he said, "So don't worry."

Toph swallowed, and licked her lips, "Thank you." Aang straightened up, and turned to the girl who had buried herself in the mound of the blankets.

"Did you just talk?" Aang asked, and kneeled down next to the blankets. The mound of blankets didn't answer. Aang grinned, and sat down next to Toph. "I knew you could talk." He mused slightly. He pulled the blanket onto his legs.

The blankets moved, and the girl barely leaned against him. It was the first time, that she'd willingly touched him. He marked it as a major success. Of course, she only stayed like that until she realized that she'd rolled into him.

Oppa, feeling left out, came over, and circled around his saddle. The girl, probably in the middle of the night, might have realized that she had two blankets while he had one really wimpy one, for when he woke up all his clothes were piled on top of him into a makeshift blanket.

He smiled. He had to admit right then and there, that he may have missed her a little bit. Her strange sense of kindness was very heart warming.

Aang awoke before Toph, and got ready. Toph instantly was awake, and hurrying to help him. He shook his head in amusement. He'd only been away from her for about two weeks, and she seemed much more human.

She even stood up straighter instead of that slightly crouched down posititon, and seemed to do things without being asked. She also seemed to almost try to please him. She'd bring him something she'd found, and wait for him to praise her.

Aang and the girl continued on their path towards the Southern Water Tribe. Oppa had been flying for about three hours, and he would need a break from the cold soon. Aang was leaning against the front of the saddle, and covered head to toe with a blanket and his spare clothes. Toph was in her spot, and covered with two blankets.

Aang had gotten into talking to Toph even though she never said anything back. After that simple thank you, she hasn't said anything else.

"So," Aang said looking up into the white sky, "I was frozen alive in these waters for about a hundred years. I was found by a couple of the tribe's kids. That's why I go over there every year during this time. I help them during the harder months."

Toph watched him from her mountain of blankets. Aang waited until the thoughtful look vanished from her face as she'd rather figured out his sentence or given up on it.

"I'll go catch them fish, help repair some of the worse off buildings, and occasionally I have to chase off a polar beast. Hate those creatures." Aang leaned his head back, "Hey, Buddy, how you doing?"

Oppa responded by emitting a loud grunt. Aang smiled.

"We're only a few hours away!" Aang said, "You can do it." The bison probably rolled his eyes, a gesture it had picked up from Toph, and she had picked it up from Kurasa. Aang was getting quite tired of her little eye rolls. She didn't realize that it was supposed to be used only during times when she's being disrespectful.

He'd tell her to stop feeding Oppa, and she'd roll her eyes at him. He'd ask her to wear shoes, and she'd roll her eyes. He'd ask her if she wanted an apple, and she'd roll her eyes at him. Aang had started to ignore it until he told Oppa he was getting fat, and the bison rolled his eyes at him.

Toph gave an impatient bark. Aang narrowed his eyes at her. Toph had liked hearing Aang's stories, and was often impatient for him to start telling them again if he were to ever pause. Instead of asking him like a normal two month removed wild child, she would bark.

"I'll finish if you start talking." Aang said resting his chin against his palm. Toph didn't even look tempted to talk. She got herself comfy and just stared at him. It was a battle of the wills. She knew that he'd get bored, and start talking again even without her asking. Aang always lost these battles.

He sighed, "So anyways, I don't know if I'll be needed this year. I was able to finally release all of the waterbending prisoners, so this tribe should have all of their men back, but I figured that I should still come just in case. Besides, I owe a lot of people there, and I can't wait to see them. Sokka, Katara, Granny, and all those little kids."

Oppa grunted at the mention of the little kids. He acted like having the kids hang from his paws while he hovered two feet off the ground was a huge inconvenience, but in truth, Aang knew that Oppa looked forward to having the children climb all over him.

Oppa suddenly ducked downward. He did it so fast that there was a moment where all passengers, he and Toph, floated in midair, until they landed with a thump against the saddle.

"Oppa!" Aang scurried to his head to see what he was doing. He instantly saw what the bison saw. He shook his head, and the bison landed loudly making the lone figure on the ice jump in fright and whirl to face the creature with his handy boomerang ready.

"What are you going to with that?" Aang asked leaning forward, "Poke someone's eyes out?"

"Aang?" Sokka grinned his goofy grin, "Can't say it's a surprise to see you. We've been wondering when you'd be about… Eck!" Oppa covered the boy head to toe in drool. Sokka held his hand out from his pale tunic, and placed a hand on his mouth to keep himself from rather throwing up or screaming like a girl.

Aang jumped off Oppa laughing, "Oppa's happy to see you."

"He just likes doing that because he knows I can't stand it!" Sokka began scrapping the drool off with the edge of his boomerang.

Aang nodded, "That's probably true. You're the only one he gives that sloppy of a kiss too." Oppa collapsed to the ground, and made a sound that just proved that he loved covering the disgusted boy in drool just to see him freak out.

"You're late," Sokka said when he felt like he had removed all the drool he could, "Katara thought maybe you'd run into some trouble."

Aang ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "Well, I had to make a short stop first. I swung around to the west corner of the fire nation to visit some old friends of mine before I came here. It took a few weeks longer."

"Yeah, you're actually about three weeks late… Is that a girl sitting on Oppa?" Sokka's mouth hung open, and he skirted around Aang, "It is!"

Toph looked peered over from the saddle's edge, and took in Sokka. Aang did the same, but from behind. Sokka had gotten much taller now, even taller than the tall avatar, and his skin had darkened from his time in the sun. The darker skin had only made his bright blue eyes pop more.

"Wow," Sokka said turning to face Aang with dazed eyes, "She's really pretty!" Aang blinked, and looked up to Toph. Aang had thought of Toph as boyish, cute, puppyish, but he'd never thought of her as pretty. If he tilted his head just right he guessed that she could be considered pretty.

"Her name is Toph. I wouldn't touch her, she bites."

"Ohhhh," Sokka said happily, "She's a feisty one." Aang shot him a pitying look. He had forgotten that Sokka was not the smartest man ever.

Aang cleared his throat, "Fiesty's not the word I'd use to describe her. I'd use something like, I don't know, cute."

Sokka grinned, "Isn't that the same thing?"

"Not at all," Aang said with a chuckle, "Cute is like animal like. Pretty is potential lover."

Sokka narrowed his eyes, "Are you saying you aren't lovers?"

Aang groaned, "Can't a teenage guy travel around with a girl his age and not be considered lovers?" Sokka and Aang shared a look that already answered the question, "Anyway, she's my friend. Her name is Toph."

Sokka groaned, "Man, I'd completely hit on her if I wasn't already engaged."

"Say what?" Aang gasped in surprise, "Now that's a story I'm interested in hearing. Need a ride?"

Sokka glanced back at the water around the broken pieces of ice, "I need fish first."

"Well," Aang said pushing his sleeves up, "I'm here to help." Sokka led him to the water's edge, and crouched down to stare out at the water. The water would occasionally wash up over the ice, and drench their feet.

Sokka pointed down into the clear water, "You see that darkish ball? I believe that's a band of flier fish." Aang had heard of flier fish. They were the wolves of the sea. They gathered in huge numbers when they found something dead in the water, and made it their home without any of the adults touching the dead meat. They'd lay their eggs around the dead carcass, and when the fish were born it would be there first meal.

"I've never seen flier fish before," Aang said peering into the water to see a dark ball deep in the water, "I've heard that they were pretty vicious."

"They aren't really," Sokka agreed, " In the middle of that ball is the 'queen' of the pack, and she' really the only aggressive fish. She's about six feet long, and if I have her on land then the rest of them will jump on the land to be with her. It's poetic really."

Aang nodded, "So, how do you catch them?" Aang asked.

"Well," Sokka explained, "There are many ways. We used to tie warriors up, and drop them into the water. The entire pack would chase the queen as she chases after the warrior to the surface, and we'd spear them when they came in reach. Obviously, we drag the warrior to safety." Sokka frowned, "Well, we drag them to safety most of the time."

Aang stared at Sokka for a long while, "Enjoy your swim."

Sokka glared at him, "You're the mighty avatar. You single handedly brought the fire nation's reign to its knees, and you're afraid of a little fish."

"You just said the queen was like six feet long! Do you count that as little because I sure don't!"

Sokka shook his head, "You're getting me off track. We don't do that anymore. Now, we drop in a piece of bloody meat into the middle of the ball. The queen, she gets firsts dibs, and then we drag her up."

"That seems much simper," Aang thought curiously, "Why didn't you just start with that?"

Sokka grimaced, "It was kind of a test of a man's will."

"Strange tribe." Aang muttered. Sokka looked insulter then he nodded.

"However," Sokka said, "Flier fish are quite rare, and I didn't think I'd stumble on them, so I don't have any meat. Do you have any on you by chance?"

Aang pointed to himself, "Vegatarian. I have dried jerky, but that's just incase I'm about to die of starvation. Toph eats it anyways."

Sokka groaned, "Well, there is one more way."

"What's that?" Aang asked. Sokka didn't answer, and he started to dig in his brown bag that had been abandoned a little ways off. He started pulling out string, hooks, and other strange things that Aang couldn't identify.

Sokka turned around, and held out what appeared to be a net, "What happens is we attract the pack to a small enclosed area and we drop the net in behind them. After they're trapped we spear them."

"Can't I just waterbend?" Aang asked curiously.

Sokka froze, "I forgot you could do that. Yeah, that would probably be a lot less complicated." Aang grinned, and stood up.

"Sokka, you never change." Aang took a deep breath, and faced the water. He focused his eyes on the dark ball, and slowly started moving his hands in circles. The water slowly began to stir, and a large bubble was created. It slowly pushed its way towards the circling fish.

Aang could feel as the fish entered into the bubble, and they continued to calmly swim. It did not occur to Aang that the fish didn't find it hard to be in pure air, and that there must be something wrong. He worked the bubble up.

He backed up, and the bubble broke from the water to hover above all of their heads. He purposely made the water drop, and nearly take Sokka's head off which earned him a sneer from the older boy. It was Sokka's fault for being between Aang and the water.

Aang first saw the fish. They were thin fish with dark red scales. They had spiky fins, and their long mouth had teeth that met unevenly. Their teeth were so long that they couldn't be covered with their black lips. Aang then saw something that surprised him. The fish appeared to have legs and wings. They were flying in the ball, but it really resembled swimming

"Hey, Sokka," Aang turned to the boy, "Why do they have legs?" Aang caught a glimpse of Sokka's face. The boy had turned considerably paler and his mouth was slightly agape. "Sokka?"

"Those aren't flier fish," he whispered fearfully, "Aang put them back slowly." Aang felt his skin prickle at the clear fear in Sokka's voice. This was the boy that had tried to attack an entire fire nation ship when they came for Aang.

"Sokka," Aang said stiffly, "What are they?"

Sokka looked at him fearfully, "They're marrow eaters. They're the most monstrous fish known to the ice. They're really quite docile unless they're disturbed."

Aang didn't completely understand the dangers of these fish, but Sokka's fear made one thing clear. He needed to return the fish without bothering them.

Aang started rotating his hand slowly, and started to move the fish back towards the water. He had to pass over Sokka's head again, but this time he didn't try to hit the boy with the fish.

Sokka stiffened as the fish started to slid over his head. Aang didn't want to risk making the water rise anymore in case it disturbed the fish. Sokka barely ducked his head. The water passed over harmlessly without the fish even showing any signs of being disturbed.

Aang had the ball of water right above the edge of the ice when they heard a screech. Aang looked up to see a fire hawk dive down.

Sokka shouted, "No!"

It was too late. The fire hawk, seeing the fish, reached into the water and plucked one of the peaceful fish. The water burst, and all of the fish were thrown onto the ground. The hawk struggled under the weight of its prey, and dropped to the ground.

Sokka and Aang backed away as the fish hissed angrily. They withered for a moment before they pushed themselves up on their hind legs. They resembled a human with a long tail except they were bent over. They're long teeth began to click together as they started to communicate with each other.

The fire hawk pecked the fish it had pinned to the ground. The fish pushed the bird off with a sickening hit of its tail. The fish leapt onto its back legs, and jumped. The fire hawk was barely able to screech as the fish sank its cruel teeth into the bird's wing. The fish clamped on.

The bird shrieked, and pecked at the fish's eyes. The fish pushed off with its back legs, and spun. The bird's entire wing was twisted off. A few of the nearest fish leapt onto the bird and repeated the process. The bird didn't have a chance.

The fish turned their bright gold eyes onto Sokka and Aang.

Sokka pulled out his boomerang, "This would be a good time for some fire bending, Aang."

Aang swallowed, "Why do I feel like I'm about to be eaten?"

Sokka grinned, "Cause we probably are."


	4. Chapter 4

The marrow eaters hopped barely forward and then backwards again with their eyes locked onto the figures standing before them.

"They're just staring at us." Aang said between his teeth, "It's kind of freaking me out."

Sokka replied just as much through his teeth with his boomerang shaking, "I love how their staring is the part that freaks you about this situation."

Aang would have glared at Sokka but he was afraid of removing his eyes from the army of about two hundred vicious fish staring at him, "It's not the staring. It sounds like they're planning something."

"Paranoid much?" Sokka asked. However, it did sound like they were planning something. They continued to click loudly, and they kept moving together in rather a unified group or separate groups.

Finally the fish began to move. Two groups began to circle around as if they wanted to get to the back of them while the ones in front started hopping forward threatening.

"Did I mention they're exceedingly smart?" Sokka asked nervously as the fish on the sides started to make some headway on getting behind them.

"No," Aang said nervously, "I'm afraid you left that part out."

"Well," Sokka said, following the surrounding fish with his eyes, "I'd better tell you this part too. They can fly."

"What?" Aang didn't have time to learn anymore because a single fish clicked its ugly teeth and every single fish suddenly came at them. Some hopped and others, as Sokka said, flew with wings that Aang hadn't seen because they doubled as their front fins.

Aang whirled around and let out a stream of fire to the approaching fish from behind them. Sokka put his back against Aang's and took on the fish that were coming from the front.

The fire hit a few of the fish and killed them but the others were able to evade the fire. Aang instantly brought up sharp icicles in his hands that were big and resembled daggers. He took the fish as they came.

Aang caught a fish that came as his face with both of his daggers in the mouth. He pulled the daggers apart, and ripped the fish in two.

"Ahh!" Aang growled as a fish hopped forward, and sank its teeth into his upper leg. Aang grabbed its tail and pulled. The fish came, but so did a chunk of skin.

"You okay?" Sokka shouted from his blood stained clothes as he cut down a fish that sunk its teeth into his sleeve.

"Yeah!" Aang shouted back, "What type of fish swims, flies, and walks on the ice?"

Sokka killed another fish, "This is why they're so dangerous!" Aang nodded. A fish got through his defense, and he had to drop his icicles to catch the fish around its midsection. The fish snapped its teeth dangerously close to his face, and one of his sharp teeth actually caught his cheek. Aang struggled for a moment. Aang grabbed the fish by the tail, and used it to hit a few approaching fish.

A fish suddenly screamed in pain from its position by his feet. Its mouth was seconds away from closing on his foot, but a rock had suddenly impaled it. Aang blinked in surprise, and looked up to see the source of the rock. Toph was standing at the outskirts of the circle. Her face was red, and she seemed to be breathing hard.

It took Aang only a moment to realize why. She was earthbending, but she had to bend the earth through at least twelve miles, if not more, of ice. The ice was cracking around her as she struggled to get more then little amounts of earth up.

Aang grinned at her even though she couldn't see it, and continued to protect himself. Toph was able to get large amounts of earth up, and sent them in form of shards into many of the fish then she would, then, bend the shard out of the dead fish, and hit another one.

Toph probably killed more fish then all of them. Finally the last fish was impaled by Aang's icicle, and both he and Sokka collapsed to the ground in an exhausted heap.

"Things are always so much livelier when you're around," Sokka panted loudly, "Yeah, when you're not here, stuff like this doesn't happen."

Aang grinned, but didn't comment. Suddenly a shadow fell across his face, and an icicle formed in his hands as he thought a fish was flying towards him. He looked up and could see Toph 'staring' down.

"Good work," he praised breathlessly, "I'm pretty sure they would have killed us if you weren't here."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed, "Thanks. Hey Aang, you didn't tell me she was an earthbender."

"It didn't come up." Aang winced in surprise as Toph leaned down and touched his cheek. Worry was etched all over her face. She then touched his leg, and let out a strange whimpering sound.

"Not your lover, my….Did she just whimper?"

"Long story." Aang said, "It's okay Toph. I'm okay." Toph touched his bleeding cheek again and wiped the blood away with her thumb. It was obvious she was trying to help, but it actually made it hurt more.

Aang grabbed her wrist, "I'm okay." He released her wrist, and looked her over to see if she was okay. The fish had barely paid her any attention, but she was still blind. It didn't look as if she'd been touched.

Aang couldn't lie though, he was pretty happy the girl was touching him. The touches had improved since she started traveling with him again, but this was a lot for her.

"So," Aang said leaning back against Sokka, "Are we having marrow eater tonight?"

Sokka chuckled, "I bet you'd kill me if they weren't actually quite tasty. They're really good but they just don't have a lot of meat on them, but I'd say we have plenty." He gestured to the blood stained ice and all the dead fish.

Aang blinked and took the rag that Toph offered him and carefully wrapped his wound through his torn pants, "I wouldn't kill you. I would leave you here and let you fish yourself, but I wouldn't kill you."

After binding his wound, he got to his feet, and helped Sokka to his. They began picking up the dead fish, and shoving them in the bag that Sokka had brought to hold the food. However, there were too many fish, and they had to load the fish into the saddle.

Aang looked over to Toph to see her sniffing the fish curiously, "Toph, how many times have I told you it's not acceptable to eat raw meat?" Toph gave a defeated huff, and continued to pick up a few more dead fish.

Sokka looked slightly disgusted, "Raw meat? Is there something wrong with her?"

"Yes." Aang said with a shrug. Suddenly, a dead fish hit him in the back, and he whirled around to see a glaring Toph. "I was kidding!" Aang turned back, and shook his head. Sometimes she acted too much like Kurasa.

"I'll ask about it on the way," Sokka said staring over at Toph, "But I claim the seat that isn't covered in dead fish."

Aang wrinkled his nose, "The entire saddle is covered in fish. We'll all just sit on Oppa's head." Oppa shook his head at this, and nearly sent a wave of fish off of his saddle, "That's what you get because all you did was stand there when we were fighting an army of fish."

Oppa grunted, but apparently couldn't argue.

Toph dropped the last of the fish in the saddle. She jumped up, and sat on a pile of dead fish as if they weren't there.

Sokka shook his head, "Okay, I revoke my former statement. I don't think I'd hit on her." Sokka and Aang got on Oppa's head while the bison made a display of his displeasure f having another person sitting between his horns.

"Yip, yip!" Sokka shouted and switched the reins against Oppa's head. Aang chuckled, and the bison looked through its shaggy bangs, and rolled his eyes. This time Aang wasn't against it.

"I don't say that anymore," Aang laughed embarrassedly, "It was too easy to remember, and he was having a whole lot of people taking him for joy rides because he responds to anyone who says it. We changed it so he just flies under me, and, if he sees fit, friends. He'd probably fly for you, Katara, and maybe Toph." He only added the maybe because he had the feeling that sometimes Oppa felt that the girl was actually quite younger. It didn't help that she was super short, small, and didn't act her age.

Aang reached over and removed the reins from Sokka's hand. He twitched them against the bison's fur. The bison took to the skies and let out a grumbling noise about the extra weight.

Sokka was quiet for the first part of the ride, "I hope the myths about them coming back to life is really just a myth." The older boy shot a nervous look to the dead fish. Aang shot a glare at Sokka, and hoped that the boy was kidding.

"Now, I'm curious about this engagement thing. I mean I realize that I make your life hard, but not even getting invited to the wedding?" Aang joked, and he glanced back to make sure Toph was refraining herself from eating any of the fish. She was playing with two of the dead bodies.

It looked as if she was making them have a conversation, but it was hard to tell with her sometimes.

"Don't think I'm happy about it," Sokka said disgustedly, "But for some odd reason my dad's friend, Bato, said it was time to recombine with our sister tribe, the Northern Water Tribe."

"I don't see how marriage ties into that." Aang commented curiously.

"Well," Sokka said leaning back and absent mindly began playing with a dead fish, "They've got this princess. Princess Yue or something, and everyone arranged our marriage before I even knew what had happened. Yeah, it'll combine our tribes, but I may just kill myself before the marriage."

Aang tried to keep a smile off of his mouth and he was quite sucsessful, but his voice shook when he said, "You're the Southern Water Tribe prince? You?" Aang pressed his hand to his mouth, but it was almost just to funny. "You are the most unprincely…." Aang had his head shoved forward as Sokka hit him with a fish.

"Did you just hit me with a dead fish?" Aang asked, and touched his stinging cheek. Sokka had made the cut bleed again.

Sokka sat up high, "I was chosen to be a prince because I have the charming qualities of…"

Sokka yelped as one fish after another started pelting him from the back of the saddle. "What?" Toph looked slightly mad. "Tell your girlfriend to stop hitting me with fish!" Aang roared in laughter as Sokka was forced to hide his head in his knees as the fish came all the harder.

"Toph!" Aang laughed, "It's okay." She was cute when she was trying to protect him. It made him laugh all the harder when the most baffled look crossed over her face. She probably couldn't figure out why Aang was protecting someone who had just slapped him with a dead fish.

Sokka looked up with a grin on his face, "That girl is feisty!"

"Hey," Aang said with a grin, "She just doesn't like it when people hurt her charming, loving friends." Maybe it was an accident or maybe it wasn't, but the next fish Toph threw didn't hit Sokka but Aang.

Toph finally settled down and continued playing with the dead bodies of the fish.

"So," Aang said as he started to throw the bodies of the fish that hadn't fallen off the bison into the saddle again, "This Princess Yue girl, what's she like?"

Sokka shrugged, "Haven't met her yet. I'll meet her in about a week. I hear she has white hair. Who has white hair? They say she isn't old, but to have white hair she must be really old but their using magic to make her young."

Aang rolled his eyes, and was horrified when he realized he was doing it now, "I doubt that's what it is. Hey, white hair could be really pretty. Really exotic and polar beast like."

"That's all I need. A wife that when I look at her, I see a polar beast. Big yellow teeth, beaty eyes, and horrible breath." Aang had to admit marrying something that looked like a polar beast would be pretty bad.

Sokka then shrugged, "But I figure I can figure out a way of it. You got out of your 'suggested' marriage."

Aang held his hands up, "I was not about to marry Azula. I was twelve and she was like a crazy seventeen year old who had hunted me down when I was trying to learn all of the four elements."

"She's gotten much nicer lately," Sokka said, "And I even kind of understand her evil side. It's not easy thinking your own mother thought you were a monster."

Aang nodded, "Yeah I guess, but I still think I saved the world, not when I killed the fire lord, but when I returned that girl's mother to her." Aang and Sokka instantly veered off of the topic of arranged marriages which frightened both the warriors, and they turned to safer tales of their adventures.

Aang had many more then Sokka considering he was the avatar, but Sokka's adventures were almost comical. He told of the story of how Katara had tried to bend a downed water tribe ship out of the depths of the sea and managed to completely launch Sokka onto of an iceberg. He was stuck on the iceberg that was so high that no one could hear him yelling at them. He stayed there for an entire day.

Aang told of his smaller adventures because he had a habit of going off on rants about them and he didn't want people to think he was bragging.

The water tribe came into view an hour and a half later. It was bigger than Aang had remembered, but with the men back a lot more was able to be done. The tribe used to be clustered together and made of animal fur and wood. Now it was a grand ice palace. Aang grinned.

There were huge ice bridges that crossed over open waters that roamed throughout the streets.

The people who knew him on a personal level ran into the streets and waved eagerly. Those who only knew of his reputation ducked into the shadows and stared at him fearfully.

"Wow," Aang said, "This place looks great!"

Sokka beamed in pride, "Doesn't it? I can't wait till dad sees it. He'll be so proud of me." Sokka's father had been transferred to different prison just months before all the prisoners of war had been released.

The group of prisoners which had consisted of many of the leaders of any groups that rose up against the fire nation were moved, and those who knew of its location had been killed in the siege. He just hoped that they were being taken care of, and not starving to death somewhere.

"He'd be very proud of you," Aang agreed, "Hey, doesn't that person have white hair?" Aang pointed down towards a woman. Aang felt Sokka's eyes on him.

"What?" Aang asked.

"That's my grandmother." Sokka said flatly.

"I just said she had white hair!" Aang said defensively, "I didn't say she was pretty or anything like that, so don't look at me like that."

Sokka looked back, "Just checking. Ummm, I think you can land Oppa in that clear spot right there. We don't have a bison barn on hand, but I'll get one of the waterbenders to pull something up for you. I love having more waterbenders than a self -taught Katara. Things can actually get done now."

Aang guided Oppa in the space between two large ice buildings without hitting anything. Oppa didn't really like the feel of sheer eyes on his fur, but after being traumatically frozen in an iceball for a hundred years, who could blame him?

Oppa laid down, and they all dropped off.

"If it isn't the boy from the ice." Aang turned, and from deep within the shadows of a towering ice towers emerged a beautiful girl.

"If it isn't Katara," Aang said jumping off the saddle, and landing right next to her, "It's good to see you!" Katara was no longer taller than Aang, something in which he found pride in, and when she hugged him he only came to lower jaw.

Aang hugged her back. She pulled away, and pushed her dark hair from his face, "Wow," she said looking him over, "I wouldn't have reconginized you, you know, if you weren't riding a flying bison. It's good to see you Oppa."

Oppa snorted disinterested. Oppa hadn't liked Katara since she forced him to have his bath in one hundred years. The ice was covered in bison fur and the water she used had been freezing. Now the poor bison is traumatized.

Sokka climbed off, having more trouble scaling down then he had getting up, "The mighty warrior has brought back an entire hoard of marrow eaters!" Some people who had gathered at the sight of a flying bison instantly gapes as Sokka started shoving the fish of in arm louds.

Toph watched the fish fall for a moment before she jumped off and, obviously nervous with the huge amounts of people, crept by Aang and hid in the shadows.

Katara's eyes widened at the sight of the girl, and she shot a glance between Aang and the girl, "Who's this?" she asked pleasantly, but Toph visibly stiffened and shot Katara a weary look. Aang had sensed it too. A small hint of hostility was hinted in the girl's voice.

"That," Sokka shouted over the crowd of people that had gathered around him, "Is the avatar's new 'friend'." Aang had people arch their eyebrows at him that he didn't even know.

Aang turned back to Katara to catch a glint in her eyes that slightly startled him, "She is just a friend. Actually she's more of a pet. Toph meet Katara. Katara meet Toph."

Katara beamed at Toph, "It's nice to meet you." Toph growled under her breath. Aang blinked in surprise. Was it him or where these girls acting a little weird, but at least Katara was trying to hide it. Toph was openly showing it.

Aang shook his head, "This place looks amazing." Aang and Katara couldn't talk for to long because Sokka couldn't find anyone really willing to touch the marrow eaters. Apparently the rumor that they can come back to life after being killed is told quite commonly, so they had to do it themselves.

Katara, at first wouldn't touch the fish saying that they were really slimy, but when Toph grabbed a huge handful, Katara grabbed a bunch too. Sokka ended up disappearing to tell their tale of defeating the marrow eaters throughout the village, and left them to do all the work. Well, actually Aang did most of the work.

Katara took her time in between loads in attempt not to touch them as much as she could. Toph started working diligently but soon she was building a tower of dead fish. Aang leaned down next to her, and she offered him a fish and gestured that he should put it on the top.

Aang humored her and placed a fish on the very top.

"Watch out!" Katara tripped into the tower and the entire thing crumbling over on Toph. For a moment, Aang was positive that Katara had been smiling, but when he looked again there was only guilt and worry on her face. "I'm so sorry. It was an accident!" Toph shook her head, and wiggled out of piles of dead fish.

Toph shook herself clean of fish and narrowed her eyes at the girl. Disbelief was clear in her eyes. Toph grunted, and trotted to Aang. She turned her head as she neared him as if she was listening to Katara. She stopped right in front of him. Toph flared her nostrils.

Aang swore as Toph walked by him he could hear her mutter under her breath, "Such a liar."


	5. Chapter 5

"Shhhhhhhh," Aang hushed Katara as she continued with her long winded rant, "You were the

one who suggested we spy on Sokka's date!"

Katara crossed her arms, "Well, I didn't think the avatar would stoop so low as to actually spy on

someone else's date."

Aang gave her a look that was half crossed between being annoyed and insulted, "I didn't even

think about it until you suggested it, so don't try to pin this on me." Toph shot him a quieting look and

reached out to place a small hand across his mouth.

Aang turned to face her. She didn't seem like she was about to remove her hand anytime soon

so he did what any boy would do. He licked her palm. Aang had the amusement to watch as her eyes

widened in horror, they changed to embarrassment, and then she narrowed them in anger. She ripped

her hand away and slapped him in the back of his head.

Now that Toph had been becoming much more human with her being surrounded by humans,

Aang had been enjoying teasing her. She had the most amusing reactions.

Toph's snarl disappeared and she returned her attention towards the quietly sitting, awkward

couple by the ice's edge and staring out into the disappearing sun. Yue had tried many times to start a

conversation with Sokka but the young man had shot her down repeatedly.

Toph, Aang, and Katara were hiding behind an ice shard that had been washed up with the last

high tide.

Princess Yue had seemed to take a liking to Sokka almost instantly. Apparently, she had the

mindset, 'We're getting married anyways so I might as well like him.' She'd tried endlessly for the last

three days to catch his attention.

Sokka had the mindset, 'If I make her miserable enough than maybe we won't have to get

married.' However; Aang had seen, in the last few hours or so, Sokka give the girl studying side glances.

Yue's hands were fidgeting nervously at her side and she was biting her lip in clear distress, "I

heard you had to sail around these icebergs to prove your manhood." She looked over hopefully at

Sokka.

Sokka just nodded without tearing his gaze from the ocean.

Katara shook her head, "He's acting like such a baby."

"He is, isn't he?"

Toph was the only one who didn't leap into the air. Katara only jumped but Aang leapt forward

and slammed against the ice. He slid back down the ice holding his arm and glaring at Bato. Bato just

blinked sheepishly at them. Over his shoulder was a large, white skin.

Katara clutched her heart, "What was that for?" she whispered harshly, "I nearly died!"

Bato held his hands up, "I've been hearing that Sokka's being quite stubborn about his marriage.

I've been watching them. I think they both like each other but they just need a little push. I'm here to do

that."

Aang finally realized what was slung across Bato's shoulder.

"Then why do you have a Polar Beast's skin?" Aang asked, reaching out to touch the huge head.

Bato's withered eyes smiled, "I've got a plan."

"This is not going to work." Aang growled under his breath. The Polar Beast's skin was drapped

over a combination of Bato, Toph and Aang. Aang was the head of the beast, Bato was the middle

considering that the Polar Beast had a large hump. Toph was the end; she had shown much displeasure

at that thought.

"Well, what's the worst that could happen?" Bato asked.

Aang thought about that for a moment, "Sokka could accidentally kill us thinking we are a Polar

Beast. They could freak out and jump into the water and drown."

There was a silence behind Aang.

"I didn't think of that," Bato admitted. "But, I doubt that will happen. Ohh, the mist is here. Time

Aang looked over his shoulder but could not see through the darkness. Toph must have agreed

with his thoughts for he heard a nervous growl from the rear end of the Polar Beast.

"We need to go," Bato said as Aang didn't move, "Katara can't keep this mist up forever." Aang

sighed and began to awkwardly stomp around. Toph matched his movements to give the Polar Beast the

appearance of walking.

"There is no way that they'll think we're a real Polar Beast." Aang pointed out as he looked out

the permanently opened mouth.

"Just stay at a distance," Bato said, "The mist should cover us enough." Aang had many doubts

about this plan, but he couldn't voice any of them because Aang was able to make out the figures of the

disoriented couple.

"Here goes nothing." Aang grumbled under his voice. Aang put the strange whistle that Bato

had given him to his lips and gave a hard blow. He was surprised to find that a mighty roar that could

compete with Oppa's erupted from the little whistle.

Aang heard Yue screamed from ahead of them. He guessed from the way that the two figures

became one that Yue had run into Sokka. At least some of Bato's plan might work.

"Go a little closer," Bato whispered, "They need to be able to tell it's a Polar Beast."

"Don't worry Princess Yue!" Sokka yelled from above of us, "I will protect you."

Bato seemed to slump from behind them, "He is such an idiot. Who yells that loud when being

stalked by a Polar Beast? Toph! Stop laughing! You're making the Polar Beast's butt shake." Aang

knew what was going on with Toph. Aang was trying hard not to laugh himself and was nearly shaking

uncontrollably. "Don't you start Aang!" Bato warned.

Aang moved a little closer just to be hit in the side of the head with the flat edge of Sokka's

boomerang. Aang grabbed his head in attempt to make the world stop spinning.

"Blow the whistle." Bato commanded.

Aang blinked his head clear and let out a loud roar.

"I hit it!" Sokka cheered. Suddenly, Aang felt Toph put her hand onto the side of his head with a

worried growl. Toph had become very protective of Aang after the fish, "If you're up here than who's in

the butt?" Toph didn't budge from his side.

"Is it me or does that Polar Beast look deformed?" Sokka shouted.

Aang looked back, "Sokka sure is an idiot, isn't he?" He reached down and grabbed Toph's

shoulder, "I'm okay. Please head to the back of the Polar Beast." Suddenly, the skin felt much heavier on

his body, and Aang realized that Bato had taken off at a run. Aang frowned, "So, he comes up with the idea and when it starts to fall apart, he runs? What kind of man is he?"

Even if there was the slightest chance that Toph would have replied she wouldn't have had the chance to. There was a sharp cracking noise from behind Aang. Toph instantly reached out to grab Aang's shirt. Aang could barely see her shooting the ground behind them nervous glances.

"Toph," Aang whispered nervously, "What's going on?" He was hoping that Toph's uncanny sense of knowing things that no normal person should would shed some light on the creaking. The ground behind them creaked again and Aang took the Polar Beast's skin off to see what actually laid behind him.

Aang and Toph were at the stop of a snowy hill that dropped quite drastically. Aang squinted and was able to see a small crack that seemed to be on the top layer of snow right below where they were standing. Toph, rather trying to be cute or trying to hide herself, had wrapped the Polar Beast's skin tightly around herself.

The crack suddenly enlarged and all the snow below the crack raced down to the bottom of the hill in a thundering mass of snow and ice. Aang and Toph, being that they were on the very top of the hill, had only been mere inches from being caught in that snow falling.

"What was that?" Yue shouted loudly. Wow, thought Aang, they really are perfect for each other. They're both idiots. Aang grabbed Toph and pulled her onto the ground with him in hope that, as the idiotic couple slowly approached the hill, that the white fur of the Polar Beast would hide their presence.

The couple walked until they were just feet from where Toph and Aang were hiding under the fur.

"When I hit the Polar Beast I must have knocked him down the hill and he created a small avalanche." Sokka's voice was muffled due to both his and Toph's heavy breathing and the block that was the thick fur. Despite the quietness of Sokka's voice, Aang was able to hear a smug tone to it.

"Wow," Yue gasped, "That's so brave!" Another small creak sent Toph rolling into Aang. The movement went unnoticed by the love struck couple. However, the feeling of Toph against him did not go unnoticed by Aang. Her nervous breath was beating against his shoulder and her hands were tangled into the front of his shirt.

Aang flinched as Toph looked up at him through her tangled bangs. For a moment he thought he saw the blind girl blushing but she looked away, so he couldn't tell for certain. One thing was for sure though, Aang was blushing.

"Come on," Aang heard Sokka started to move away, "We shouldn't get to close. The snow we're standing on doesn't have any support and is going to fall down the hill as well." Aang's fast beating heart, due to the close proximity of the savage girl, instantly stopped as he realized that if the snow that Sokka was standing on was going to go than there was no doubt the snow they were laying on was going to go too.

As if the snow was able to read his mind, Aang felt the snow give out under him. Toph gave a startled cry and wrapped her arms around him. Aang grabbed her in return and they started to tumble down the snowy hill. It wasn't a soft fall either. A few times they were launched off the hill just to land back with a hard thud.

By the time they had gotten to the bottom of the hard hill, they were half buried with snow and all they way covered in bruises.

Toph and Aang had been thrown away from each other in the force of one of the falls, but they had landed nearly side by side. Aang pushed himself up on his elbow, "Toph, you okay?"

Toph opened her eyes, and apparently so disoriented that she was not her normal self, said, "That really hurt." Her eyes widened as she realized she had spoken aloud. She clamped her mouth shut. Aang rolled his eyes.

"You have a pretty voice," Aang said wiping some blood from her cheek, "You should speak more." Toph shoved his hand from her face, and with a red face, she struggled to her feet. She unsteadily got to them, and took off so fast that Aang didn't even have time to comprehend what had just occurred.

He watched her retreating figure. He remembered her blush. He smiled to himself, "Who though the wild child could be so cute?"


	6. Chapter 6

Aang shot Toph an exasperated look as the girl continued to sit in the corner of the saddle with a displeased glare crossing her features. Toph had been in her silent protest for most of the ride and, while the girl was usually so silent, Aang was bothered by the difference between the silences.

"I'm sorry we can't go," Aang sighed, "But Azula said that it was important that we arrive as soon as possible." Toph curled her lip.

Aang was disappointed too, but for different reasons than Toph. He'd wanted to go to Sokka's wedding, which the boy was now very eager to hold, but being the avatar meant that he had to pass on certain personal wants for the need of the greater good.

Toph, realizing that glaring at his head wasn't working, began making a rather heartbreaking noise in the back of her throat. Aang, who had fought by himself to bring down the fire nation without every giving up, felt himself considering defeat.

Aang tightened his grip on the reins, a movement he was sure that Toph caught, for she began whining all the louder and the sadder.

"No!" Aang said through clenched jaws. "I know you want to see your family, but this is really important!" Aang had his mind set and no amount of whining would change it. He was proud of himself for about three long seconds before he felt Toph put her palm between his shoulder blades.

The heat instantly seeped through his thick clothes. Toph crouched down behind him and, with her mouth quite close to his ear; she let out a pleading whine. Before Aang could even give in, Oppa started turning around. Aang knew he was defeated. Toph knew she'd defeated Aang. Even Oppa knew that Aang had been beaten.

"Fine!" Aang said leaning forward away from the blind girl, "We'll go see your badger-mole family but you need to tell them not to eat me or Oppa!" Toph grinned and wrapped her arms around him in an awkward backwards hug. What made it awkward was that she didn't let go even after Aang started trying to squirm from under her grasp.

Aang sighed and just looked ahead when he realized that the girl was not letting go. He figured Toph was just imitating Katara who Sokka nearly had to pull off of the leaving avatar.

"Where is it?" Aang asked after they entered into the mountains that Toph had been raised in. Toph shrugged and waved her hands in front of her eyes. Toph could 'see' so well that Aang would often forget that she was blind.

"We aren't walking there," Aang stated, "Can you tell me about it?"

Toph licked her lips, "Big." she said with a nod as if that was all that he needed to know. Aang sighed.

He reached down and ruffled Oppa's fur, "Sorry, buddy. It looks like we're walking."

Toph had been right about one thing. The mountain was big! One thing she had not mentioned was that the mountain was cursed with a legend of the Firelight. A strange pair of eyes that reflected a raging fire no matter what they looked at that followed people who went in there. Those eyes were apparently the last thing anyone saw.

Despite the horrible tales that surrounded this cave, Toph instantly became excited. Aang on the other hand was nervous for many different reasons. One thing was he didn't feel like being killed by the Firelight. Another problem that scared him was that Azula would kill him if she found that they'd taken a detour when in her letter she had emphasized speed. Lastly, he was standing on a small ledge that was perched high above a roaring ocean.

Oppa, being an air creature, refused to enter the small hole in the side of the mountain and had just dropped them off.

"Is this the right place?" Aang asked watching Oppa disappear into the sky. Toph didn't answer but grabbed his hand with her bone crushing strength and began to run at full speed into the cave. Aang couldn't even protest as he found himself running after her.

Aang wanted to pull away as they instantly entered into the dark cave, for he could no longer see around him, but Toph refused to release his hand or reduce her speed.

Luckily, she instantly stopped not too far into the cave. Aang could instantly tell why. While he couldn't see anything, he could smell the rancid smell that suddenly hit him. It was enough to make him want to cry as it attacked his eyes.

"What is that Toph?" Aang nearly choked as he opened his mouth, creating an opening for the aggressive smell. "Toph?" Aang could feel her grip tighten on his hand and she seemed to be frozen. "Toph?"

Toph released his hand, leaving him standing clueless in the darkness, and he could hear her running forward. Aang closed his eyes and listened. He could hear her making a choking sound, but Aang didn't think it was from the smell.

Finally, not being able to resist the urge to find out what was happening around him, he allowed himself to create a small ball of fire in his palm. Light was shed on the world around him. He wished he hadn't done it.

Toph was on her knees with her hands on the top of her head. Her shoulders were shaking with such force that it was clear that she couldn't breathe. Aang was horrified to find Toph looking so distressed, but that was not what was able to keep his attention.

His attention was turned to the mountain of dull fur that was directly in front of her. Arrows were as numerous on the beast as the flies that covered its corpse. The creature's swollen tongue pushed from its mouth and the creature was bloated.

Aang stared in horror at the slain badger-mole. Another mound pulled his eyes away from the first. A smaller badger-mole lay against the cave wall. It took Aang a moment to find the head, for the head was stern about ten feet from the headless corpse.

Aang could see other large shadows that could or could not be badger-moles. Aang didn't look long enough to actually make out what they were.

Aang slowly took a step towards Toph. Her family had been slain. Aang remember the feeling that had engulfed him when that had happened. He'd felt so alone, but the truth was that he was alone. He needed to let Toph know that she wasn't.

"Toph," Aang stepped over what appeared to be a disembodied human corpse, "Are you okay?" Aang knew that she wasn't but he couldn't find any other words to say. Toph's body froze at the sound of his voice and she looked over her shoulder at him.

Aang was surprised by the look that those eyes held. They didn't hold that slightly amused glare to them when he'd done something stupid. It didn't have that pleading look to them as when she wanted food. There was only open aggression, hostility, and the reflection of the fire in his hand.

"Toph?" Aang asked gently. He took one step closer and the girl snapped. Toph leapt to her feet and instantly whirled to face Aang. She held her hands out to tell him that he was not only not allowed to touch the bodies of her beloved family, but that he was not allowed to take another step forward.

Aang, being distressed about the state of his companion, ignored the warnings written in her eyes and took another step forward. Toph bared her teeth in an animal snarl and hurled a rock at him.

Aang easily ducked, but he knew that Toph was warning him. It never occurred to Aang that Toph was an animal in the least. He had just thought of her as a wild child. However, as she hurled herself into his stomach, he realized that there had been an animal lurking just below the surface.

Aang, taken by surprise, was sent flying backwards from the impact of her shoulder into his lower stomach. He flew into the body of a baby badger-mole. It had not been Aang's fault in the least, but Toph, as she realized Aang had touched the body of her family, let out an enraged scream.

Aang scurried to his feet, so afraid of Toph's next move, that he did not even wipe the rotting flesh and dead fur that had clung to his tunic.

Toph took an earthbending stance. Aang, not wanting to fight his distressed friend, decided to try to escape until she had calmed down. Aang took a deep breath and released it in the form of two racing streams of red fire.

Had Aang acted a second faster, or Toph a second later, than Aang would have seen it coming. Through the fire he was breathing, meant to distract Toph long enough for him to leap out of the cave, he saw an earth pillar erupt and fire reflecting from Toph's blue eyes. The firelight was going to kill him.

The pillar slammed itself into his chest. It hit him with such force that he found himself thrown out of the cave. He landed with a bone breaking crunch on the corner of the ledge. He was so surprised by the quick events that he did not even try to stop himself as he slipped over the ledge.

The falling seemed to happen in slow motion. It was so slow that Aang should have been able to stop himself. Normally, he would have been able to, but, blame it on his surprise, or on the internal injury that was causing blood to fall slower than him, but he was barely able to keep his open his eyes.

He hit the water so hard that it didn't feel like water but solid ground. However; it was the ice cold water that was able to suddenly shock him out of the daze he had fallen in.

Aang kicked as hard as he could to the surface as he struggled to ignore the sharp stabbing pain that had started to attack his chest. Suddenly, he erupted from the water. He'd only emerged from the water long enough to take half a breath before a large wave sent him crashing under the water again.

Aang instantly kicked himself up to the water, "Oppa!" Aang was slammed backed down into the water to have his lungs fill with water. Aang grabbed his stomach as pain racked his entire body.

He looked up through the clear water to see something large and dark on the water's surface. Aang tried to waterbend for a moment, but his body, in hope of using his excess energy to heal his wounds, refused to allow him to do so.

Aang was barely able to swim upward. He burst from the water expecting to see Oppa hovering above the water, but instead he surfaced next to a large, flat log. With the rest of his strength, Aang grabbed the side and pulled himself on.

The log was just barely big enough to support him and just thick enough not to throw him off.

As Aang's eyes began to close to allow unconsciousness to overcome him, his fingers barely skimmed over a carving in the wood. He flicked his closing eyes upwards to see a unique carving.

_Kyoshi & Kyoko_

_They're dead. Toph buried her hands into her mother's dark brown fur as tears fell onto her forearms. She shivered all the harder as the fur removed itself from her mother's dead body._

_She was whining so loud that it was beginning to hurt her own ears. No, she whimpered, they were all she had besides…_

_Toph whipped her head up to look around the cave. Where was Aang? She sniffed around curiously. She felt like she should remember something, something about fire, but it was lost in the dead bodies that surrounded her._

_She slowly slipped her hands from out of her mother's fur. She wanted comfort and she liked the warmth that Aang was able to give off. She pushed herself up and was surprised to find herself fall back down._

_Toph's legs didn't want to listen to her and instead they started shaking with the slightest amount of weight applied to them. Toph had felt this before, but it was when she had been neglected of food and water for two days straight._

_Toph forced herself to her feet, and as she fell down she saw a wave of images. Aang standing with his hands up in a dismissive gesture. Fire coming at her. Dead bodies surrounding her. Aang's eyes as a rock pillar slammed into his chest. Him flying out of the cave._

_Toph leapt to her feet and ran through the cave looking around desperately. She didn't need to explore the entire cave because she could tell through the vibrations that she was alone in the cave._

_He has to be here somewhere! Toph desperately searched the cave. She searched around the walls, around the bodies, around the ledge, but she couldn't find him. I must have just missed him. I have to look again! _


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so sorry it took me sooo long to update it. I have like thirty different versions of how I want this written. I settled for this one because it's been like three weeks since I updated! Please no one throw rotten fruit at me!**

"_Kyoshi!" I turned around to have my little sister wrap her arms around me and bury her face into my stomach, "Mommy yelled at me again!" Tear s flowed down her face that was a spitting image of my own face just younger._

_I reached down and gave her a squeeze, "What did you do this time?" I tried to sound stern but when she turned to look at me with those puppy dog eyes, I felt myself give in._

_Kyoko sniffled, "I was trying to help with the cooking! I really was! But then some food fell on the floor." Her hands curled themselves into the sides of my warrior's attire, "I really tried. I just wanted momma to praise me like she praises you."_

_I absent mindedly ran my fingers through her hair. I knew that being the avatar's sister was hard on her. Everything she did, I could do better, and people always had to point it out._

"_It's alright princess," I said and she beamed as I used my pet name for her, "We can cook together when we get home. I won't yell at you even if you drop all the food on the floor." I looked around as if telling a big secret, "We just won't tell mommy, okay?"_

_Kyoko nodded, proud to be trusted with a secret, "You promise?"_

"_Promise." I gave her one last squeeze._

_Kyoko looked past me to the water, "Ohh, look! What is that?" I looked to where she was pointing. She was pointed to a strange black thing on the beach ahead of us._

_I gave an uncaring shrug, "Looks like a piece of a ship that probably washed up." Kyoko looked at me for a long while. I rolled my eyes and nodded. She smiled and took off towards the black spot. Kyoko would walk the beaches for hours just to look around for washed up things. She said that they were the most beautiful things that the world had._

_I watched her with a crooked smile until I saw something that made my blood turn cold. The black thing barely moved. _

"_Kyoko!" I screamed, but the girl didn't seem to hear me as she neared the black blob. "Kyoko don't!" I took off in s sprint, desperately trying get to the girl before she got to the blob, but with the distance between us, it didn't happen._

_Kyoko froze as she realized that it was something that was alive. She screamed and went to turn around and run, but the black blob twisted its body so quickly that it was able to grab the girl. Kyoko screamed and dropped to her knees._

"_Kyoko!" I finally came to her. I leapt onto the black blob. It was actually a tube like creature with no limbs. Just a circular mouth filled with sharp teeth, and they were all in Kyoko's thigh. I struck at the creature with my fans, creating deep slices._

_Tears were streaming down my eyes. The creature's body moved under me, and I realized that it was drinking. Blood streamed onto the sand all around me._

"_Kyos." Kyoko muttered turned to look at me with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her face pale, and her body shaking "Is mommy going to be mad?" Her arms gave away, and she landed on her stomach to breathe in her last breath._

"_No!" I screamed and continued to beat the black blob even though I knew it was too late and even though I had ripped the blob apart. I continued to cry even as the tide swept all of my little sister's blood into the ocean. _

"Wake up!"

Aang's body reacted despite his mind still far away in his dreams, and Aang found himself sitting up so fast that he nearly head butted the girl screaming in his ear. The girl gave a startled shriek and poked his arm frantically before leaping away to land in a fighting position.

Aang's arm instantly was deemed useless, "Ow!" Aang yelled trying to grab both his arm and his ears at the same time, "That's the rudest wakeup call I've ever had!" Aang blinked as he realized that he was not in the water tribe and the girl was not Toph being playful.

The girl instantly relaxed as she realized that Aang wasn't a threat, "Hi!" She instantly launched herself onto his bed showing amazing gracefulness. "Who are you? How did you get onto Kyoshi Island? I mean didn't the unagi give you any trouble? It's giving tons of people trouble!"

Aang blinked as the girl started moving towards him.

"Ty Lee!"

Aang turned away from the approaching and curious girl to see another woman come in while fanning herself with a dangerous looking fan. She narrowed her grey eyes on Aang in a clear look of distrust.

"Good morning, prisoner." The girl said dangerously and smirked at his limp arm, "Hope you slept well."

Aang looked away from the girl to look at his surroundings curiously. Where was he? Then he remembered the events of what he guessed was the previous day.

"Oh man!" Aang leapt to his feet and off the bed making both girls react. Unluckily, the cheerful girl, Ty Lee launched herself onto the ground. Suki pulled her hand back to swipe but Aang saw her instantly go to cover both her and Ty Lee's eyes.

Aang frowned until he looked down. His eyes widened as he realized that the only thing he was wearing was a sheet that was starting to slip down away from his hips.

"Don't look!" Aang yelped as he struggled to grab on the falling sheets.

"Don't flatter yourself!" The older girl snarled as she was able to get her hands over a staring Ty Lee. Aang pulled the sheets around himself, "Are you decent?"

"As much as a guy wearing a sheet can be." Aang snarled in embarrassment. He may be an avatar, and heck he'd had a lover before, but having two completely strange girls staring at him with barely any clothing was something that he wasn't used to

The older girl peeked and when she realized he'd been telling the truth, she lowered her hands from both her and Ty Lee's face.

"Ahhh," Ty Lee frowned, "It's not every day you get to see a boy that fine." Aang glanced at the girl with a frown.

"Anyway, where are my clothes? I really need to go. My friend is having a mental breakdown about her dead badger-mole family, so…" Aang shut up when he saw the strange look both the girls were giving him, "Okay maybe I should explain myself."

"You can't leave." The older girl stated simply.

Aang froze up, "You can't keep me here. I didn't do anything…"

"Oh, that's not the reason," the older girl said with a wave of her hand, "You can try to leave, but the unagi won't let you. Kyoshi Island hasn't been able to get anyone in or out for the last two months without the unagi killing them. Ships can't even come in." The girl was examining her finger nails, "Sorry, but you're stuck.

Ty Lee, who seemed to still be enjoying the small amounts of skin she was able to see, looked to the older girl, "But Suki, he got here. The unagi didn't kill him."

The older girl, Suki, shrugged, "It was just luck. An avatar wannabe wouldn't get that far on skill. Yeah, no offense but those tattoos are so obviously fake." Aang arched his eyebrow but didn't say anything. He'd actually been told that his tattoos didn't look right a lot. Apparently, they were to light a color to be real.

Aang smiled, "Well, I hope luck will be enough to get me off this island. My friend is seriously freaking out and I'm afraid that she's going to hurt herself. I'll take on the unagi if it means getting out of here."

Suki shrugged, "Your death wish." Suki grabbed the still staring Ty Lee and shoved her to her feet, "Let's go." Aang waited until Suki was about to grab the door.

"Oh yeah," Aang said and the girls turned around, "Here's a thank you for saving me." Aang sent a blast of air over to the flowers hanging outside his window and sent two of the prettiest flowers to Ty Lee and Suki.

They both caught them looking slightly amazed. Ty Lee clicked her tongue as if she was impressed before leaving, but Suki just narrowed her eyes, clearly unimpressed, and turned away.

"Welcome to Kyoshi Island," Suki growled, "It's about damn time you returned home, avatar." Aang chuckled. Had he not been so worried about Toph he might of stayed to get to know Suki more, for she was the kind of girl that he liked.

However, with Toph in danger, Suki could have been the most beautiful and amazing girl alive and Aang wouldn't give her a second look. Aang was slightly perplexed to find himself so fixated on coming to Toph's rescue but he didn't find any reason why.

Aang, being left on his own, was able to find his clothes in the small closet. They were different than his old clothes. Very different. It was a dress. Aang would have refused to wear it if it wasn't the only thing in the entire room, and he had a feeling that Suki wasn't going to give him any other clothes.

As Aang put it on, he realized that a dress wouldn't be a proper word to describe what he was wearing. It was more like a green, armored, robe. He knew that the look was actually sported after one of his past lives, but that didn't make it comfortable or right for Aang to wear it.

Aang walked out of the small, well to put it simply, hut he was sleeping in. He found Ty Lee lounging against a nearby tree clearly waiting for him to finish changing. He was just happy that the girl hadn't peaking at him.

She jumped up when she saw him, "About time! Geez and I thought that girls where the ones that were supposed to take a long time to change." Aang suddenly narrowed his eyes at her. Something about her struck him as familiar.

Ty Lee smirked, "Don't remember me, huh? Don't worry, I didn't remember you either. I mean I realize it's you now, but just from your face, I didn't recognized you."

"We've met before?" Aang asked curiously. He figured he'd remember a girl with that much makeup.

Ty Lee nodded, "I'm the one that spilled that vase on Azula's head when I realized that you two were getting married." She rubbed the back of her neck, "I thought I was going to die."

"Good thing you can dodge lightning." Aang smiled as he remembered the energetic girl now, "So how'd you end up here?"

Ty Lee gestured for Aang to follow her, "Well, after Azula's mom came back, Azula stopped hanging around me and Mai. It was okay at first until Mai started dating Zuko and she started ignoring me too. Suki found me pouting on a beach and offered me a spot on her island. Here I am."

Aang reached over and ruffled the girl's hair, mostly because she reminded him of a puppy, "Well, good for you. Where are we going?" Aang asked even though he had a guess. His guess was based on the fact that they were rather going to the beach or farther, if they learned to walk on water.

Ty Lee shrugged, "I'm kidnapping you." Aang shot her an unbelieving roll of the eyes and she smiled, "Normally, we'd throw a huge festival in honor of the return of the avatar that would last all night, we'd beg you to stay here with us, offer you all the eligabal ladies hands, but since you seem to be in a hurry, Suki decided that the sooner you left the better."

Aang blinked in surprise, "Thanks. Normally, I would like to stay, but Azula demanded that I return to the Firenation Palace as soon as possible. Apparently, there is a huge emergency." Remembering that Ty Lee was close with the princess, Aang looked over to her, "Do you know what the emergency."

Ty Lee rolled her eyes, "Didn't you listen to Suki? The unagi has kept us trapped here for two months. We haven't had any outside contact during that time."

"So, this unagi creature, just showed up one day?"

Ty Lee shook her head, "Nah, it's always been here. These waters are its home. It really didn't bother us and we didn't bother it. But two months ago, it just went insane. It attacked anything that entered its water, and at night," Ty Lee eyes flashed sadly, "It cries to the sky."

Aang looked over, surprised by the sudden change in the happy girl's demeanor. Deciding that he was not good with emotional females or dealing with them, look what happened with Toph, so he let the conversation drop.

They came to the beach where Suki was leaning back against a small, small boat. She reached down and patted the boat, "Hope luck will allow you to sail on the waters without being eaten alive."

She knows I'm the avatar and yet she still treats me coldly, Aang thought with a shake of his head.

"I think I can take on your little unagi," Aang said confidentiality, "I am the avatar, you know." Aang would have felt good about himself if Suki hadn't put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from cracking a smile.

"What?" Suki asked innocently as Aang narrowed his eyes at her.

"You don't think I can do it?" Aang asked.

"From what I can gather," Suki grinned, "You got beaten by a blind little girl. I just think our unagi might be a little out of our hands."

Aang blinked, "How does she know that?"

Ty Lee grinned, "Kyoshi has a way of making people talk in their sleep." Aang gulped, wondering what else he had said.


	8. Chapter 8

"I still don't see why you're coming." Aang stated as Suki stepped into the boat that she'd brought for him. Suki instantly made herself comfortable making it clear that she expected Aang to push them off.

Suki flickered her fan, "Isn't it obvious? While you run to your blind lover, I'll get help to kill the unagi."

Aang had to admit that did sound…. "She is not my lover!" Aang growled.

Suki just arched an eyebrow, "That's not what you said in your sleep."

Aang narrowed his eyes at the older girl. He'd only been awake for about an hour and Suki had already hinted at things he'd talked about in his sleep. Aang hadn't even been aware that he talked in his sleep, nor did he remember his dreams, so the possibilities of what he'd said were limitless.

Aang grabbed the back of the boat and pushed. The boat and Suki may have been small but their combined weight was very heavy. Aang thought about commenting on how heavy they were, but Suki decided to flick her fan dangerously at the same second he opened his mouth.

Aang shoved and the boat slid into the water. Aang leapt in and made himself comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you could be when you were in such a small space with a person of the opposite gender.

"We'll be out of here in no time." Aang said as he noticed Suki's worried expression as she peered into the water. "I'll just bend us…"

"Don't even think about it," Suki warned, "The only reason you got past the unagi the first time was because it didn't notice you. If you bend it's like holding up a sigh saying, 'Tasty treat.'"

Aang blinked. Maybe it was a good thing that Suki came with him because otherwise he probably would have just made himself prime unagi meat.

Aang leaned back against the boat, trying not to rock it and catch the creature's attention, and closed his eyes. The waves were so small and the water was moving so slow that I would take them a long time just to get out of the view of Kyoshi Island.

"Don't go to sleep!" Suki hissed, "I need you awake to fight off the unagi!"

Aang groaned, "I'm just resting my eyes. I'm still perfectly awake. Just keep talking to me to keep me that way."

He heard Suki sigh. "What do you want to talk about?"

Aang thought about it for a second, "I want to know about Kyoshi. I don't remember a lot of things about her. It's actually quite strange considering I can remember all of my past lives but hers."

Suki was silent for a while, "Kyoshi was born into a poor family. Her parents were prideful ones that refused to share the riches that were Kyoshi's when she started her avatar duties.

"Kyoshi had a young sister that was killed by a seal-leech…"

Suki was instantly drowned out as Aang was flooded with strange images. A girl crying and holding onto him, no he was Kyoshi now, and crying. Something black. Blood, so much blood. Someone crying. Wait, Aang was crying.

Aang fought to unravel all of the memory but Suki had started shaking him quite violently. Aang snapped his eyes open, ready to snap at her, but then he saw the unagi looming over their boat.

Suki was still shaking him but her wide eyes were focused on the unagi. Aang ripped her hands off and leapt to his feet. The boat nearly flipped at the movement but it steadied itself.

Aang moved, not taking his eyes off of the unagi, to the end of the boat. The unagi was like nothing Aang had ever seen. It was a long serpent with a fin on the back of its head that changed to spikes that trailed down the rest of the visible body. It's eyes were a haunting green. It had four strange strips down the side of his neck that were a bright yellow. Aang realized they were gills.

Aang was baffled by how still the creature was being. Its green eyes were locked onto Aang and it seemed to be holding its breath. Aang would have thought about it longer but he couldn't risk having the unagi suddenly move, so he suddenly lashed out with a huge wave.

The wave slammed into the unagi causing the creature to be slammed backwards but it never disappeared below the waves. The unagi blinked its big eyes like it was waking up from a dream.

Suddenly it erupted into a loud roar. It wasn't the sound of a bloodthirsty beast but of a heartbroken creature. Aang fell to his knees, nearly toppling off the boat if Suki hadn't grabbed him, and grabbed his head.

The beast's roar were starting to morph in his head.

_Kyoshi! _The unagi's roar split into his head, _You left me! How dare you strike me! _Aang shook his head as memories tried to force their way into his head. All Aang saw was a detailed image of a small girl with reddish brown hair and tear filled brown eyes.

"Aang!" Suki grabbed his shoulders. "What's wrong? This is not time to be freaking out! What the…" Aang felt himself collapse.

Suddenly, Aang was not inside his own body. He was standing beside it, actually her, and trying to figure out what was going on.

Kyoshi stood beside him with her arms across her pretty flat chest. She was staring at the unagi with her endless brown eyes.

Kyoshi turned to Suki, "Sleep young one." Suki collapsed into a heap, but she had a small smile on her face.

"What's going on?" Aang asked Kyoshi, "How are you there? Aren't we the same person?" Kyoshi showed no sign of being able to hear him.

The unagi took one look at Kyoshi and stopped howling. Instead it reared itself out of the water until it was so high that it cast a shadow nearly twice as long as itself. Water streamed down the lithe body and loudly splashed into the water below.

Kyoshi in a very musical voice, "Young one, you have been much out of line." The unagi let out a growl that sounded like it was protesting. "Just because I have gained a new companion does not mean you should reek havoc on those who are innocent." The unagi let out a snort.

Aang just stood there watching himself, Kyoshi, sternly lecture a creature as powerful as the unagi. While the unagi did look slightly angry, it was the anger that didn't hold any threats behind it.

The unagi let out a series of growls. Aang didn't understand them but Kyoshi seemed to.

"I do not care for your reasons. I must stop you if you continue. It will pain me, yes, but I will do what is right. Now stop this!"

The unagi grumbled loudly and suddenly lunged down towards the small boat. Aang wondered if he could die when he wasn't even in his own body.

Kyoshi leapt forward to meet the unagi head on. She slammed the unagi with a blast of air that sent the creature squirming in the air. It landed right next to the boat. Suki nearly flew out of the boat, but, luckily she just slammed head first into the hard, unforgiving rail.

"You're going to kill us!" Aang yelled, trying to wake Suki up. However, his hands just slid through her. Aang didn't know what was more disturbing, watching himself as a girl or the feeling of having his hands inside of Suki's stomach.

The unagi resurfaced, it's green eyes nearly seething in anger, and lunged for Kyoshi. Kyoshi did some weird flip thing before landing right on the oncoming unagi's snout.

Aang watched in curiosity as Kyoshi leaned down and kissed the serpent right between the eyes when they were exactly above Aang. The unagi seemed to freeze in midair. Before Aang could comprehend what was going on, the air around the two beings floating in the sky started to shimmer. It looked like gold dust particles were starting to swim around them.

The dust got so thick that Aang could only see the outline of the large beast. Suddenly the dust shot away so fast that Aang felt like his clothes were going to be ripped off.

There, standing where the unagi once was, was a little girl. She had her arms around Kyoshi in a hard hug and tears were streaming down her face. Aang blinked. He was completely at loss about what was going on.

'Shhhhh," Kyoshi whispered but Aang could hear it even from his long distance, "It's okay, Kyoko."

The little girl shook her head furiously, "I missed you! You said you'd come visit me everyday! How come you've been gone for so long?" The girl beat her little fists on Kyoshi's green attire, "I was a good girl for so long! And then, you go and get a new little sister! Was I not good enough?" If a heart could break, Aang knew his would have just shattered into a million pieces.

Kyoshi rubbed the girl's back, "Now, now, now." Kyoshi nearly purred, "You know I could never have a new little sister. That girl is not mine, but the current avatars. You must learn that we are different even if we are the same person."

The girl sniffed loudly, "You still left me!"

Kyoshi looked as if she was fighting off crying herself, "Little Kyoko, I died. You must have seen me die. My body was thrown into the water."

Kyoko shook her head again, "No! You aren't dead. That wasn't you! No one can kill you!" The girl started growling deeply and, for a second, Aang could see the outline of the unagi start to surround the girl.

Kyoshi started to stroke the girl's head, "I am dead. You must learn to let me go. You need to go to the spirit world. This world is corrupting your spirit. Please." Kyoshi looked at her little sister with such desperation that Aang could have hugged her if she wasn't floating in the air and out of his reach.

Kyoko's growling started to get much louder. Kyoshi frowned and whispered something, but it was lost to Aang because of the growls. Kyoko shoved herself from Kyoshi's arms.

The girl started to fall back to the sea. Her body bucking as if she was beginning to retake her unagi form. Aang looked up to see a single tear escape Kyoshi before she pulled her hand back and released her fan.

The fan struck the withering spirit in the chest. Kyoko didn't look hurt. She didn't look like she was in pain or she was scared. She looked up at her sister with such hurt and sadness in her eyes.

When she hit the water, she was the unagi again, but this time, she wasn't moving. The unagi's long body floated at the top of the water with blood leaking from the large gash that had clearly struck the heart.

Aang looked up to Kyoshi to see that she was staring, unseeingly, into the sky above her. Finally, Kyoshi looked down. She looked right at Aang.

"Let this be a lesson." Kyoshi smiled but her lips were trembling and tears were escaping from her eyes, "An avatar cannot have family. They cannot love one over any others. I have killed my own sister to save many. I would do it again if I needed too." Kyoshi landed next to Aang. Aang could feel her start to combine her spirit back to his.

The last words he heard before everything blacked out was, _You can never love her like she loves you._


	9. Chapter 9

Aang stared into the dark cave before him with many conflicting emotions. He was happy to be back, but he was scared of what he may find in there. He even had a vision of Toph trying to kill him again.

Suki was standing next to him. She had already made it quite clear that she felt his fear was unnecessary, for girls did things they regretted all the time especially when they were on their time of the month. Instead of soothing the worried Aang, all she managed to do was make Aang wondered if Toph even had a time of the month.

Appa gave a low growl as Aang took his first step towards the cave. Aang had already had his reunion with Appa and many, many, many licks had resulted from it. Apparently, Appa had been missing Aang as much as Aang was missing him.

"Alright," Aang said, looking to Suki, "You stay here. I have no idea what condition Toph is in right now." Aang didn't wait for Suki's smart mouthed answer, those were the only ones she gave, and started to inch forward into the cave.

Aang felt the first prick of fear, for not himself, but for Toph. He knew Toph could see without her eyes, and she should have already known he was here. Maybe she was dead. Maybe whoever killed the badger moles came back and killed her.

Aang leapt forward into the cave. Fire raced next to him in a makeshift light. Aang hadn't really gotten a good look the first time he'd been in here, his eyes had been locked on his savage companion and her dead family, but he could instantly tell something was off.

It looked like someone had completely ripped this cave apart. It was much bigger than it had been a mere five days ago. It looked like someone was looking for something and had completely trashed the cave in the process.

Aang couldn't ponder what that meant, and he continued running forward in search of Toph. He came to the place where the fight had happened. He could tell because of the dead badger moles were still in the exact same spot they had been previously.

The smell seemed to be majority gone probably because under all of that fur, most of the flesh was gone. Aang allowed the fire to circle around the cave slowly. He didn't want it actually catching on of the badger moles and having Toph try to kill him again.

The fire created strange shadows and for the first time Aang was able to see things he hadn't seen previously. First off, was the considerable amount of human remains. It looked like the animals had put up quite a fight.

The next thing that caught his eyes was a torn up pack that had papers scattered around it. Aang only glanced at them for a second because a sniff caught his attention.

Aang turned his head to the sound and slowly began to inch towards the dead badger mole that had been beheaded. He worked his way around it, and, right behind it, was a shivering figure.

Toph was hiding behind the creature. She was on her knees and she had her face buried in the creature's fur. Her clothes were barely hanging on her. Whether it was because of the fact the clothes look like they've been through hell or because she had lost so much weight, Aang couldn't tell.

Aang's heart nearly ripped out of his chest as he looked down at her.

"Toph?"

The girl froze. She barley turned her head to look at him. She looked so scared. Aang held his hands up to show that he didn't mean any harm while he secretly hoped that she hadn't reverted back to the wild child she had once been.

Toph let out a terrified whimper that actually sounded like a word covered up in an animal's whine. Aang dropped down to one knee and held his hand out to her.

She looked away, almost looking ashamed, and buried her face back into the fur.

Not knowing what to do, Aang began to inch forward towards the girl. As he neared her, close enough to reach out and touch her, he heard her mumbling something.

At first, he thought she was just growling again, but as he really listened he realized she was talking.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…" she repeated into the dead animal's fur while her body seemed to shake in rhythm with her chanting. Aang shook his head and reached out to touch her shoulder.

She froze against his touch but relaxed. She pulled away from the animal to look at him. Streams of tears ran down her, now, thin cheeks and she tumbled into him. She buried her face into his chest while she ran her hands up and down his stomach in obvious distress.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…" she repeated.

Aang held her tight and didn't like the way he could feel all of her bones. He wondered when she had last eaten.

"Shhhh," he whispered to the distressed girl, "It's okay."

Toph shook her head, "I fought you." Aang was a little worried when she began making full sentences. She must be really upset. "I don't mean it. I sad. Didn't hurt you meanly." Aang's head was spinning as she continued to speak.

He'd known she was holding back on him but this was insane. Besides a few mess ups, she was actually doing very well.

"You dead." She whimpered sadly and let out something that sounded like a half sob.

Aang pushed her away a little to look at her face. She tried to stay in his arms as if she was afraid that he was going to push her away and never let her back in them. He took her hand.

For a second he stared at the damage done to her hand. He knew what had made the cave such a mess. Toph was the one that ripped it to pieces and her raw hands proved it.

Aang slowly put the girl's hand on his chest, "See? I have a heartbeat. I'm still alive." Toph let out a relieved smile as his heart beat thudded against her hand. Aang wondered if she thought he was actually dead till this moment.

After Toph had gotten her fill of listening to his heartbeat, which actually took quite a long while, Aang grabbed his thin wrist, and gave her a slight pull. She tried to stand up but her legs gave out from under her.

Aang knew that Toph really needed to eat or drink something. Aang leaned down, and picked up Toph bridal style.

The girl let out a very undignified squeak and grabbed onto him with dear life. It was clear, that besides Appa, he was the first one to have ever actually held her like this. Toph struggled until she elbowed Aang, who in turn gave a grunt. Toph froze, looked horrified that she'd hurt him again, and instantly stopped struggling just to stare at him fearfully.

Aang chuckled, "I'm not mad Toph." Toph relaxed and let Aang carry her.

Aang entered into the light to be instantly confronted with a curious Suki. Suki circled Aang a few times, trying to get a good look at the girl.

"God, Avatar!" She hissed after a few moments, "Don't you feed her? I mean look at your fat bison! At least feed her his crumbs!" Appa slammed his paw down in protest, but Suki was staring at the girl that seemed completely unsure how to react with Suki's presence.

"She wasn't like this five days ago." Aang growled in annoyance, "She eats more than the bison does." Appa looked torn between being insulted and being pleased. He decided just to ignore it.

Suki rolled her eyes and scurried to get lunch started while Aang started to tend to Toph's wounds. Toph watched him for the most part before she'd glance over to where Suki was. Aang caught her, several times, opening her mouth with a baffled expression on her face, but she never asked the question she wanted too.

"What did you do to your hands?" Aang asked. Toph opened her mouth than firmly closed it. Instead she gave a huff. "Oh no, you don't." Aang warned the girl, "You can talk. I know that now. So answer."

Toph glared at him, looked thoughtful, and said, "Mate?" She tilted her head to the side. Aang's heart leapt out of his chest and into his mouth. Aang stared at the girl who looked like she was expecting an answer.

He tried to make his tongue work but it felt like it had suddenly become useless.

Toph frowned when he hadn't said anything. She pointed to Suki and, with a very impatient voice, asked again, "Mate?"

Aang nearly laughed when he realized his mistake. Toph wasn't asking if she was his mate, she was asking if Suki was his mate. Aang pushed away the strange feeling of disappointment, and shook his head.

"She's a friend."

Toph grinned at him before her eyes became thoughtful again. She stared at Aang for a long while. This time, Aang couldn't make her tell him what she was thinking about.

Suki gave Toph her food, seemed a little sad about how Toph seemed to want Suki to stay a good distance from her, and said she was going to look into the cave. When she announced this, Aang was expecting Toph to blow up again about her family.

Instead, Toph just made sure she was all the closer to Aang. Appa kept glaring at Toph for a good hour. Apparently, the bison was the least forgiving about the entire situation. That was until Toph offered him all of her lunch. When Aang made Toph eat it instead of giving it to the big bison, suddenly he was the bad guy in the animal's eyes.

Suki came out a little while later with papers in her hands. She had this excited glint to her eyes and she was nearly running. Toph looked at her suspiciously.

"Aang!" Suki ran to Aang so fast that when she tried to stop, she nearly flew into Aang's lap. That earned a disapproving growl from Toph who actually pushed Suki away from Aang.

Suki didn't seem to notice as she shoved the papers into Aang's face.

"Read what I found?" She nearly shrieked.

Aang looked down to the paper she seemed to want him to read.

**Dear Feraliz,**

**It has come to both my attention and displeasure to learn that you have misplaced the girl. I hope, for your sake, that you have found her by the time this letter has reached you. **

**If you have permantely lost the girl than I will say that all of the money I would have gotten for her will come out of your family's pockets. It will not come out of yours, mind you, because you will be very much dead.**

**That girl, you so carelessly lost, is worth her entire family's selling rate. Her ability to bend metal makes her a dangerous weapon that the Fire Lord wishes to defeat the world with and he has already paid handsomely for her. Find her now.**

Aang didn't know what else was said on there because it looked like it had been drenched in blood and the words were barely readable. The only other word that Aang could read was something that looked like 'gold'.

Aang glanced over to Toph who was just staring at him. By the way her head was tilted to the side, it was clear that she was curious what he held in his hand. She watched him for a while before becoming disinterested and went to play with Appa.

"She was a slave?"


End file.
